DHL begins mid east fleet evaluation to meet growing demand

“The review will dovetail with our future needs and plans, which includes a US $10 million infrastructure investment phase currently under way,” said David Wild, General Manager, DHL UAE.

Future plans for the region include new air destinations, improved and new build facilities at regional airports and a total upgrade of DHL’s Middle East air-road network, fleet and services.

The news comes as DHL Middle East revealed that in the past 18 months, its regional aircraft fleet has doubled in size from 7 to 14 aircraft.

“In March 2002 our fleet consisted of four Metroliners, two Convair 580s and one Boeing 757,” explained Paul Bishop, General Manager, DHL Air Operations Middle East. “Today the fleet consists of four Metroliners, two Convair 580s, one A300-600, three AN-12s, two Airbus 300 B4s and two Boeing 727s.

“This increased fleet now serves new destinations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq and has seen capacity grow over the 18 months from three million kilos to nine million kilos a month.”

DHL has also increased its capacity on its Dubai-Bahrain route by phasing out a Metroliner and replacing it with a Convair. “Capacity on the route has risen from 2,000 kilos to 5,000 kilos a month due to the replacement,” said Bishops.

DHL says its own regional fleet of aircraft has been a key factor in major logistics contract wins over the past year including that of General Motors for the Middle East and the Abu Dhabi-based Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Company (GAMCO).

In May this year, DHL opened a major airside facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport since when throughput has risen at the capital’s terminal to a million kilos a month.

Now DHL says it’s looking to expand its air network throughout the Middle East and better integrate it with a growing regional road network.

“Under consideration are a jet service linking Bahrain with Riyadh and Jeddah, an air link between the Levant and the Gulf and a new Bahrain-Doha-Muscat-Doha-Bahrain service, which would greatly improve transit times to allow for later take offs and earlier deliveries,” said Bishop.

DHL says the new air services would be integrated with new trucking movements which could include a Kuwait-Basra route, Amman-Baghdad service and a Bahrain-Kuwait link.

“Eventually we are looking at a road network which would stretch from Beirut to Istanbul to Germany,” said David Wild. “We are actively pursuing links which would give us a road network right through to Europe.”

DHL has embarked on a major US $10 million infrastructure investment programme throughout the Middle East, which includes upgrading facilities at its Jebel Ali air express centre in Dubai, an expansion of its facilities at Beirut International and the creation of purpose-built facilities at Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan.

“Improvements to our Bahrain hub are also under investigation,” said Wild. To improve its air-road network, DHL is investing in 22 new trucks to add to its Middle East fleet next year. “We are also considering the launch of an air-road service which would feed into Jeddah and then truck goods right down to Sana’a in Yemen.”