DHL Express has announced the opening of its new international hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, in Paris, France. DHL invested €170m into the new location, which is said to be ten times larger than the previous site. It was said that it is DHL Express’ largest investment in Europe in recent years and the biggest ever in France since its arrival in 1976. The facility aims to strengthen DHL’s foothold in France, having also invested €80m in its French infrastructures over the last six years. With a solid network and next-generation infrastructure, DHL has all the tools to support and plan ahead for the increase in global trade by shortening delivery times, enhancing parcels tracking and security, and further improving the employees’ working conditions.
John Pearson, CEO DHL Express, explained, “The DHL Express hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport will play a key role in our international network. This is the fourth largest hub in our European network in terms of size and parcel processing volume, after Leipzig, East Midlands and Brussels. It is one of our 23 hubs around the world, 12 of which are in Europe. The new facility is another step towards fulling our mission: Connecting people, Improving lives. Our role was decisive during the Covid-19 crisis. Even at the height of the pandemic, we managed to maintain the link between countries to ensure global trade. Our agility, supported by the strength of our global network and the commitment of our teams have enabled us to deliver more than one billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines to more than 160 countries. With ultramodern infrastructures fitted at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and our presence in 220 countries around the world, we have all the tools needed to meet the new challenges of an increasingly connected world.”
In 2020, e-commerce enabled DHL Express France to grow its volume by about 8% compared to 2019. With the recovery of trade for its long-standing B2B customers, activity at DHL Express is intensifying in 2021, according to the company.
The new facility’s sorting system alone represents a €45m investment. Its processing capacity is 38,000 pieces (parcels and flyers) per hour, 15 times more than the previous facility. Nearly 720 employees, including almost 239 new recruits, will be running the 32,000 sq m centre around the clock. For customers in the Paris region, this new Paris-Charles de Gaulle location already means a substantial one-hour time saving on their deliveries and pick-ups, said DHL.
The hub is located in a 91,000 sq m space, the equivalent of 13 football fields. The construction work, which began in March 2020, took 20 months. Now up and running, the location is sized to absorb the growth of the next 10 years, with an option for further expansion.
The DHL Express hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle will reportedly meet strict environmental criteria, including LED lighting with motion detectors, a sorting system with IE4 high-efficiency motors, energy-efficient air conditioning. The site also aligns with the zero-emission target for 2050 set by Deutsche Post DHL Group. DHL Express France, which also has an intermediate objective of carrying out 70% of its pick-ups and deliveries using green transport by 2025, is multiplying initiatives in this direction, stated DHL. The company has more than 100 clean vehicles and delivers more than 50 city centres with zero-emission solutions. It is also developing many solutions, such as on-demand deliveries, collaborative deliveries by bike or on foot, consignments and Relais Colis service points.
Source: DHL
