DHL moves European air hub from Brussels to Leipzig
DHL Express officially moved its European air hub from Brussels to Leipzig over the weekend following a gradual build-up of operations over the last year. The launch of full hub operations reportedly went off without any major problems.
With the transfer of the former Brussels flights, DHL is initially operating 57 freighters each night to and from Leipzig, with the option to increase the number to more than 60 in the next few weeks. Some 30 planes had previously been operating every night at Leipzig.
As a result of the hub transfer, the nightly freight capacity will also nearly double from 800 tons to 1500 tons and 16 additional destinations will be added to the new hub including New York, Moscow, Madrid, Rome and Athens.
Local newspapers reported today that the start of full hub operations at Leipzig appeared to have gone off without any serious problems. This is in contrast to the massive operational difficulties that impacted on the launch of the US air hub at Wilmington several years ago. Leipzig, Wilmington and Hong Kong are DHL Express’ three intercontinental air hubs.
According to Michael Reinboth, managing director of the DHL air hub in Leipzig, DHL expects to increase its daily express freight capacity to 2000 tons and to have invested a total of EUR 300 million in the new hub by 2012. “By that time we expect to increase the number of employees to 3,500,” he told the German newspaper Mitteldeutsche Zeitung. Currently, DHL employs about 2000 people at the airport.
To limit the noise pollution that people living and working around Leipzig airport are exposed to, DHL plans to use B-757 freighters that produce 77 pct less noise and consume 20 pct less fuel than previous types. DHL will also operate other planes such as MD-11s, A300s and Tupolew 204s, mainly flying via Eastern Europe, Reinboth explained.
The hub will officially open on May 26 with a major opening ceremony.
Meanwhile, DHL Express has moved its flight operations from Vienna Airport to Bratislava Airport. B757 flights from Leipzig will arrive at Bratislava in the mornings from Tuesday to Friday and on Sunday evenings. DHL will also replace the B-757 freighter with a smaller aircraft on the Leipzig-Prague route.
