TNT Express has invested €8 million in a new operational centre in Istanbul, Turkey, toestablish an important logistics base in the country, creating 107 new jobs.
Located at Sabiha Gökcen International Airport in the largest Turkish city, the new centre willbegin operating in May. Built on an area of nearly 3,800 sqm, the new centre has the capacity tohandle 8,000 deliveries daily.
TNT Express said it will be the first international express courier company to base itself atSabiha Gökcen, which is on the Asian side of the Bosporus. After the centre is completed, TNT willuse its base at Sabiha Gökcen airport for jets coming to and from the company’s air hub in Liege,Belgium. In February, TNT started flights from Turkey using Boeing 757 freighters.
The move will also increase the speed of deliveries as Atatürk International Airport in Istanbulhas been operating beyond capacity for some time, TNT Express said in a statement.
“Last year, the total weight of our deliveries rose 19.4% year-on-year,” said Turgut Yildiz, TNTExpress Turkey managing director. “According to weight, 61% of our operations involve air and 39%involve land transportation.”
“The year 2010 will be marked by growth and investments. After the global crisis, new marketsare gaining importance. Starting from the second quarter of 2009, deliveries to the Far East haveincreased. China ranks first with an increase of 40% while deliveries to Egypt, Saudi Arabia andUnited Arab Emirates rose nearly 10%,” Yildiz added.
“Turkey has always been a country that we believed in,” added Christian Drenthen, South Europeregional director for TNT Express. “TNT Express Turkey has never once reported stagnancy or a dropsince its establishment, and it continued to succeed during the crisis. Turkey is therefore apriority in investments.”
