Courier Australia business DHL and its airline partner Tasman Cargo Airlines (TCA) has launched a new aircraft for its Trans-Tasman service.

The Boeing 757 is to be used to cut fuel emissions and carry extra parcel deliveries across the Tasman Sea.

To be operational on the Sydney to Auckland route five times per week, the new aircraft will carry an additional 15 tonnes of payload and increase fuel efficiency by 25 per cent.

Businesses on both sides need the increased capacity that will be offered by upgrading from the old Boeing 727 plane, according to Gary Edstein, senior vice president, for Oceania at DHL Express.

"In 2009 alone, we experienced significant growth in Trans-Tasman shipments so increasing our capacity to offer faster services, and more often, to our customers is a key focus for us," he said.

DHL said the express service it offers will continue to benefit New Zealand exporters by giving it up to an 11-hour advantage over firms using other parcel delivery companies.

The news comes after DHL was named the official logistics partner for Australia's largest desalination plant.