DHL’s major expansion of its Leipzig air hub has seen the first phase of an expanded warehouse facility open today.
Announced a year ago, the €150m investment will see the freight processing capacity increase by 50% to more than 15,000 shipments per hour at Germany's second largest airport by cargo volume.
Hand in hand with the physical build has come an expansion of the workforce, with 200 of a promised 400 new jobs already filled. DHL currently employs over 3,800 people on the site.
Ralph Wondrak, managing director of DHL Hub Leipzig, said: “DHL has delivered on the promise we made when we moved to Leipzig. This investment will allow us to create ideal operational conditions for future growth. We take our responsibility as an investor and employer in the region very seriously.”
Still to come in the expansion is a 40,000 sq m warehouse, in addition to DHL’s existing facility. The new building will effectively double the current footprint.
Markus Otto, managing director, European Air Transport Leipzig, said: “The expansion enables us to increase the efficiency of our flight operations. With this, our aircraft load factors can be increased and a quicker turnaround can be achieved for each flight at the hub.”
Compared to the other options available to accommodate growth, the expansion of the hub in Leipzig will offer savings of more than 1,800 tons of CO2 per year.
