DHL talks with Belgian govt in stalemate, its departure inevitable
Deutsche Post World Net AG unit DHL’s talks with the Belgian government over the expansion of Brussels airport into its regional mail hub have reached stalemate, with the company’s departure ‘inevitable’, according to Belgian business daily L’Echo.
‘Discussions are sticking on the number of night flights undertaken by the large cargo planes MD11s, on the horizon in 2011,’ L’Echo reported without citing sources. ‘Too noisy for the government, irreplaceable for DHL.’
The paper said the express courier service will have no choice but to move to one of the other two airports on its shortlist.
The delocalisation of the company to one of the other sites of Vatry in France or Leipzig in Germany seems practically inevitable in these conditions, the paper said.
Indeed, L’Echo reported that a member of the Flemish government, Yves Leterme, is already discussing the possibility of filling the void at the airport should DHL quit.
DHL is insisting on the need for 16 night-flights every evening by the noisy MD11 cargo planes. The Federal, Brussels and Flemish governments judge this to be unacceptable to local residents living under the flight path.
Le Soir daily newspaper described ‘the sky darkening for DHL’ as both sides dig their heels in.
At the end of September, Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt wrote to DHL, asking for a commitment that the MD11s in the company’s fleet would be replaced by quieter planes like Boeing’s 777.
The company says such an investment is impossible, having already invested 1 bln eur on improvements in the last few years, Le Soir reported.
Le Soir argues that MD11s are needed by DHL because the new centre will not be just a European hub, as previously described by the company, but an intercontinetal hub serving three geographical zones.
In any case, says L’Echo, Vatry in France awaits an answer, having concluded its negotiations with DHL in September.
