DHL completes $22m hub expansion at US airport
DHL opened a new $22m expansion facility at its US hub in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG) this week. The 19-acre South Apron expansion provides space for nine additional wide-body aircraft at nine new gates and includes a new, more efficient hydrant jet refueling system as well as facilities to de-ice planes at the gate.
DHL said the expansion would improve hub operations and capacity and ultimately support the extension of its service reach into Asia, Europe and the Americas region itself.
The company has recently started direct flights between the CVG hub and its hub in Panama City, providing a daily link between its North American and Central American networks.
It has also recently announced plans for three new Boeing 777 Freighters to improve capacity and transit time linking up the Americas, Asia and Middle East regions, with the first aircraft in place since August, flying between the CVG hub, Bahrain and Hong Kong each day.
DHL’s VP Travis Cobb (centre-left) with CVG chief operating officer Tim Zeis officially opening the CVG hub expansion this week
Travis Cobb, vice president of hubs, network control and gateways at DHL Americas, said the continuing expansion of the hub signaled a bright future for the company’s 2,000 CVG staff, despite the difficult US economy.
He said: “More expansions are still planned here at CVG as we continue to grow our international shipment volumes and expand our Air Network coverage and capabilities.”
CVG
DHL has had a presence at Cincinnati Airport since 2009, since when air freight volumes have increased by 190%.
With about 92% of all DHL customer shipments delivered in the US flowing through the CVG hub, 78 DHL flights currently enter or leave the airport each day, linking through to points across the US, to Mexico, Canada and Central America, and over to Europe and Asia.
Construction on the South Apron expansion started back in February 2011, as the second phase of a $40m investment in DHL’s hub, following on from an investment in hardware and software running automatic sorting systems, made back in October 2010.
Tim Zeis, chief operating officer at CVG airport said; “DHL is a strong airport and community partner, and its continued growth means jobs for this airport and for this region.”
