In a First, FedEx Flight Circling the Globe

Federal Express Corp. said its first around-the-world flight was underway in a move expected to significantly reduce transit times from Europe to the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Asia. It also means the start of the first regular express service to Bombay, India, the company said. However, the inaugural flight skipped Bombay as bad weather delayed its departure from Dubai, and the company wanted to reach its other destinations on schedule, FedEx said. The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 freighter, with 64.4 metric tons of cargo capacity, originates in Indianapolis and serves European customers through the FedEx hub in Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport. It then flies to Dubai to serve Middle Eastern customers, before continuing to Bombay; Bangkok, Thailand; Subic Bay in the Philippines; and back to the United States via Anchorage. Shares of Memphis, Tenn.-based FedEx, the world’s largest express transport company, rose 75 cents to close at $67.19 on the New York Stock Exchange.