FedEx Corp. and DHL Express have relocated to larger, dedicated air transit facilities at major airports in Turkey and Finland, respectively, to more efficiently handle international package volumes.
FedEx (NYSE: FDX) last week inaugurated a new cargo terminal at Istanbul International Airport, a major crossroads for international trade between Asia and the West because of its proximity to Europe.
The express carrier’s cargo airline previously transferred cargo at a shared third-party facility. The new 272,300-square foot air hub is four times the size of the previous operation and brings operations under one roof, ensuring greater reliability for customer shipments, spokesman Jonathan Lyons said in an email response.
It includes two parking spots for FedEx aircraft, a 70% increase in parking for truck trailers and high-tech sorting technology capable of processing up to 7,000 pieces per hour, he said. Three automated high-speed x-ray machines equipped with image-reading software and artificial intelligence enable fast security screening of shipments.
FedEx operates 30 flights per week between Turkey and markets in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. The company also distributes cargo to and from the airport through its regional road network.
The company did not disclose the size of its investment in the new facility.
CEO Raj Subramaniam attended a grand opening ceremony at the Istanbul facility, along with Richard Smith, chief operating officer of FedEx International and head of airline operations, and Wouter Roels, president of FedEx Europe.
“This new facility in Istanbul is a strategic move for FedEx, further integrating our global air and ground networks and delivering the scale and flexibility our customers need in a dynamic trade environment.” said Smith in a news release. “It is also a key step in unleashing the power of our combined networks to create long-term value and capture growth in the global air freight market.”
DHL upgrades Finland gateway
On Europe’s northern rim, DHL Express (DAX: DHL) has moved into a new air gateway that is triple the size of its previous terminal at Helsinki Airport. The first customer deliveries from the facility are scheduled to begin in October.
The parcel delivery giant said it invested 100 million euros (equivalent to to $117 million) in the 172,200-square foot facility. The building has twice the space for moving and storing shipments and its automated sorting system can handle up to 6,500 packages per hour, up from 1,500 packages per hour beforehand. It also has direct aircraft access to Helsinki airport’s apron, enabling faster aircraft loading and offloading, and 90 vehicle bays for direct package loading, all equipped with electric vehicle charging points.
The facility also has advanced x-ray scanning equipment for airfreight and energy-efficient features such as geothermal heating and solar power.
“This investment supports growth and helps Finnish companies reach international markets,” said Oktay Nuri, managing director at DHL Express Finland, in a news release.
Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.
Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com.
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