DHL opens new Euro hub in Leipzig

DHL opens new Euro hub in Leipzig DHL Express on Monday opened its new European air freight hub in the east German city of Leipzig.
   The express carrier is switching distribution operations to Leipzig-Halle Airport after Belgian authorities refused to relax restrictions on night flights at Brussels Airport.
   The 200-hectare facility has sophisticated package-sorting equipment and will operate on a 24-hour schedule. DHL invested about 300 million euros ($473 million) to build the facility, which will be able to serve more than 50 aircraft on a normal weekday and is projected to handle 1,500 tons of freight per day and 2,000 tons per day by 2012.
   DHL said its site selection criteria included Leipzig’s proximity to growth markets in Eastern Europe, nighttime flight authority, local labor availability and good road and rail connections in the area. About 2,000 employees will operate the hub, with that number expected to rise to 3,500 by 2012.
   “Due to the relocation of our European super-hub, we are now able to offer minimized shipment running time and also offer our newest prime express services on more trade lanes than ever before, with improved access to Eastern Europe and Asia,” Scott Davis, chief executive officer for DHL Express Europe, said in a statement.
   DHL built several environmental elements into the facility, including 1,000 square meters of solar cells on the roof and two underground cisterns to capture rainwater for washing aircraft.