Up to a day is expected to be wiped off transit times for mail and parcels between the United States, Canada and Australia, thanks to a new route being introduced by worldwide cargo specialist DHL Express.

The Boeing 747-400 plane will enable consignments collected from the States on Friday to be delivered to all major cities in Australia by Monday.

The twice-a-week flight will operate between Cincinnati and Sydney, and DHL says it will bolster the service it offers on one of its busiest corridors.

DHL US chief executive Ian Clough said: "The US-Australia flight targets a key trade lane for express shipments out of the US, helping our customers become even more competitive."

On its return, the new flight will operate via Hong Kong, giving extra capacity for Asian businesses wishing to ship goods to America, Post and Parcel reported.