DHL to construct new freight facility at Budapest Airport

Logistics firm DHL Express has signed a strategic agreement for the development of a new state-of-the-art freight and warehouse facility located next to Terminal 1 (T1) at Budapest Airport in Hungary.

The new DHL base will be the carrier’s second development at Budapest Airport after it opened a freight forwarding facility in the Airport Business Park in 2013.

Scheduled for completion in July 2017, the warehouse will cover more than 140,000ft² and will be home to approximately 300 employees. It will also be fitted with a fully automated sorting system enabling shipments to be accepted later in the day and dispatched at a quicker rate. On-site preparation works for the facility have already begun and will be handed over to Hungarian construction company Market Építő Zrt in September 2016.

Jost Lammers, CEO, Budapest Airport, said, “We see this as yet another major step forward, not only for the airport, but for the growing Hungarian economy as well. This is another successful example of Hungarian-German cooperation, creating growth and new job opportunities in Hungary. Aviation connectivity, both in the cargo and the passenger area, is a key factor for the growth of a modern economy, and we are committed to contributing to this.

“The construction of the new DHL Express facility is an integral part of our Budapest Airport 2020 development program, which earmarks HUF50bn (US$182m) for airport development over the next five years.”

Zoltán Bándli, managing director, DHL Express Hungary, said, “The move of DHL Express’s operations to Budapest Airport is a large-scale project. The value of the greenfield investment will reach €25m (US$28m), the largest in the Central and Eastern Europe region.

“It reflects our commitment to building a state-of-the-art facility, to optimize our business procedures and strengthen cost effectiveness. The fully automated new sorting system and enhanced shipment processing capabilities will allow us to implement an even earlier courier departure and later courier arrival. Based on the wider service window, we will examine the range and the coverage of our premium services.”