DHL has opened new regional centres in Ireland and Hungary to expand its European network.Meanwhile, Lufthansa Cargo has relocated its joint venture freighter flights from Cologne to
Leipzig as part of the build-up of the new DHL European air hub.In Ireland, DHL Express officially opened its new purpose-built hub in the Dublin AirportLogistics Park on October 31. The Irish Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, officiated at theopening. The new hub will be the focal point for all DHL’s international air express, road expressand domestic delivery services in Ireland, and will complement the 19 DHL Express Service Centresacross the country.
The purpose-built hub, located on a 13 acre site, is capable of handling up to 7,000 parcelsper hour. Its automated sorting system routes shipments to one of 118 pick-up and delivery doors,24 cross-dock doors and 30 line-haul doors. International shipments are consolidated on airlinecontainers to connect with DHL’s nightly A300 flight from Dublin.
Bernard McCarthy, Director & General Manager of DHL Express in Ireland, said: “Thecompletion of the new hub is a significant milestone for DHL Express in Ireland and reinforces ourcommitment to invest in our infrastructure and to further improve the services we offer to Irishbusinesses. The new facility is the centrepiece of our operational network in Ireland and willensure that we are well positioned to meet the growing needs of our customers throughout thecountry.”
In Hungary, DHL Express has opened a HUF 4.5 billion logistics hub outside Budapest to act asa national hub and gateway to other markets in Central and South-East Europe, local media reported.The new facility, including a 7,000 sqm warehouse and 5,800 sqm of offices, is expected to handlesome 15,000 daily air shipments and offer capacity for future growth. The company already recentlyopened a new base near Lake Balaton.
“This new logistics center, which comprises DHL’s Hungarian ground distribution center, thedomestic operation base and the company’s headquarters, is an important location for DHL towardsemerging markets to the Balkans and further south,” Aleksander Morozovski, CEO of Central EuropeDHL Express, told the Interfax news agency. DHL Express Hungary md Joe Borocz said the company,with revenues of EUR 50 million last year, is expecting a record year in 2007.
In Germany, Lufthansa Cargo has officially inaugurated flight operations to and fromLeipzig/Halle, the site of the new DHL European air hub, with an MD-11 flight to Singapore. Aspreviously announced, the cargo airline is shifting 21 weekly freighter flights, operated in anintercontinental joint venture with DHL Express, from Cologne to Leipzig. Carsten Spohr, LufthansaCargo CEO, commented: “Leipzig will thus become the most important freighter location for LufthansaCargo after Frankfurt.”
Meanwhile, in the Middle East, the DHL Country Office, Hub and Gateway in Dubai have gainedthe prestigious TAPA A security certification with a score of 98.86%, and three other facilitiesgained the B certification. The TAPA certifications were awarded in recognition of the operator’shigh security standards.
