DHL awaits ‘unambiguous’ decision from Belgian govt on airport growth
Deutsche Post-owned DHL, the express mail courier, said it is awaiting an ‘unambiguous’ decision from the Belgian state to end controversy over the possible construction of its European mail hub at Brussels’ Zaventum airport, according to a report in the Belgian daily Le Soir.
Embattled Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt was in talks late last night to find a solution to a problem that pits local residents opposed to an increase in air traffic, against a government-backed programme to attract investment and jobs.
At stake is between 5,400 to 9,600 jobs, according to Le Soir.
DHL is also considering Vatry in France or Leipzig in Germany as possible locations for its new distribution centre, which will be capable of handling 3,000 tonnes of freight per night by 2012.
Local residents are against any increase in night flights, while DHL estimates a necessary expansion to 34,000 per year from its current level of 25,000.
The latest solution from the authorities is a proposal to allow night flights to be increased to 28,000 from a present 25,000, with unspecified compensation for local residents, an agreed modernisation of the DHL fleet to make it less noisy, a sound reduction programme on the ground and the creation of an independent regulator.
Verhofstadt will announce the outcome of negotiations to the parliament at 2.15 pm CET.
Last week, the prime minister’s spokesman said he was confident a compromise would be found before today’s deadline.
Verhofstadt is under pressure after pledging to create 200,000 jobs in his second term of office.
