International logistics giant DHL has announced it is opening a new freight office at Haneda International Airport to capture cargo traffic following the internationalisation of the gateway.

Located within Tokyo International Air Cargo Terminal Building No 1, the new office opens on October 21, the same day as Haneda Airport's new international terminal begins operating and is expected to boost the company's operational capabilities within the region.

Kelvin Leung, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding, North Asia-Pacific said: "With the internationalization of Haneda Airport, businesses in Japan can look forward to a strong boost in international air connectivity and cargo transport capabilities.

"As the first international player to set up an office at Haneda Airport and with international trade on an upward trend worldwide, expanding our service capabilities with a new office at Haneda Airport will give DHL Global Forwarding a first mover advantage in meeting the needs of our customers in the region."

This will be DHL's first base at the Haneda airport and will give the company to opportunity to benefit from the airport's 24/7 operations and deliver comprehensive, time-sensitive services to customers.

Also this week DHL announced the introduction of three new air express routes between Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific which will be served by AeroLogic, the joint venture cargo airline of DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo.

On the same day as Haneda opens its new international terminal it will also unveil a new intermodal terminal giving it direct access to the city's monorail line.

By Oliver Clark