Service Impacts Continue for International Mail to Europe

Alternate Transportation Arrangements Being Made

WASHINGTON, April 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Postal Service is using all available airlift, rerouting mail through alternate airports and booking available ground transportation to move international mail in response to the ongoing closure of airports throughout Europe.

Many international airports remain closed due to the plume of volcanic ash blanketing extensive areas of the continent.

Retail employees at Post Offices and other locations are continuing to accept mail to all destinations in Europe, and are advising customers that service delays can be expected and guarantees for delivery have been suspended.

"We've been working around the clock with the European posts and our air carriers to keep the mail moving," said Mike Nappi, executive director of International Operations for Global Business. "We have a flexible network, and we're exploring every available transportation option."

As a result of the airport closures, the service guarantee for Global Express Guaranteed (GXG) service to destinations in Europe is unavailable due to an act of nature, as covered within the terms and conditions for GXG shipments.

The service guarantee for Express Mail International (EMI) to destinations in France, Great Britain and Spain also has been temporarily suspended. Military mail to and from European destinations is being impacted, while mail destined for military destinations in the war zones is operating normally.

Nappi said the International Service Centers in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami are continuing to process mail destined for Europe, and air carriers are continuing to accept it.

Perishable items are not currently being accepted for shipment to the following nations:

The situation with air traffic into and out of Europe remains fluid, and normal service operations will resume at the earliest possible time. Additional information regarding acceptance and movement of mail to Europe will be provided as it becomes available. Customers can monitor the status of their shipments on usps.com or contact Customer Service at 1-800-222-1811. Additional information and updates are posted online at: International Service Updates .

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world's mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service

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