DHL Aviation

DHL Aviation

IATA ICAO Call sign Various Various Various
Founded	1969;57 years ago (1969)
Hubs	Bahrain Brussels Cincinnati East Midlands Hong Kong Leipzig/Halle London–Luton Milan–Malpensa Shanghai–Pudong
Fleet size	211
Destinations	225
Parent company	DHL
Headquarters	Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Website	aviationcargo.dhl.com

DHL Aviation is a division of logistics multinational DHL responsible for providing air transport capacity.

Overview

DHL Aviation is a group of airlines that are either owned, co-owned or chartered by DHL Express.^{[ citation needed ]} DHL owns six main airlines to service various global regions:

• European Air Transport Leipzig (EAT Leipzig) is responsible for the major part of the network for Europe, and for long-haul services to the Middle East and Africa. It operates a fleet of Boeing and Airbus freighters from its hub at the Leipzig/Halle Airport.^{[ citation needed ]}
• DHL Air UK (DHL Air), acquired by DHL in 1989, is based at East Midlands Airport. Since July 2000, it has operated a fleet of Boeing 757 freighters on intra-European services and a fleet of Boeing 767 freighters, primarily on transatlantic routes. ^{[1] [2]}
• DHL Aero Expreso is a subsidiary in the Central and South America Hub in Tocumen, Panamá, operating a fleet of Boeing 737-400, 757-200 and 767-300 freighters which also serve destinations in the Caribbean and Florida.
• DHL International handles Middle East destinations from its headquarters and main regional hub at Bahrain International Airport, operating a fleet of Boeing 767 freighters.^{[ citation needed ]} The fleet is deployed throughout the Middle East and in Africa.^{[ citation needed ]}
• Blue Dart Aviation is based at Chennai International Airport, India, with a fleet of Boeing 757 freighters. It provides services for DHL's Indian network and regional charters.^{[ citation needed ]}
• DHL Air Austria is based at Vienna International Airport, Austria, with a fleet of Boeing 757 freighters.^{[ citation needed ]}

DHL owns the following smaller subsidiary airlines:^{[ citation needed ]}

• DHL de Guatemala, Guatemala City
• DHL Aviation South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, with a fleet of ATR 72-200F operated by Solenta Aviation

As of October 2025 ^[update] , DHL had stakes in the following airlines, some of which also operate under the DHL brand or livery: ^[3]

• AeroLogic, Leipzig, Germany (50%)^{[ citation needed ]}
• Tasman Cargo Airlines, Sydney, Australia (49%)^{[ citation needed ]}
• Vensecar Internacional, Caracas, Venezuela (49%)^{[ citation needed ]}

Former owned airlines:

• Air Hong Kong sold the remaining 40% shares to Cathay Pacific Airways in July 2017. ^[4]
• Polar Air Cargo sold 49% stake to Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings in February 2025. ^[5]

Hubs

Brussels Airport was a main hub; when DHL planned expansion at Brussels Airport in October 2004, it created a political crisis in Belgium. ^[6] Yet, in 2017 DHL invested heavily in its Brussels hub and the site at Brussels Airport is now one of the main regional hubs in the DHL Express network. ^[7]

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport (CVG) is the United States global hub for DHL Aviation. ^[8] 90% of volume originating in the United States transits out of the CVG hub. ^[8] In July 2023, DHL announced a USD $192M expansion at its CVG superhub, planning to add capacity for additional aircraft, new maintenance facilities, a new hangar, new offices, and capacity upgrades to keep up with increasing volume. ^[9] DHL also has four smaller gateway hubs in the United States, located at Chicago-O'Hare International Airport (ORD), New York-JFK (JFK), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and Miami International Airport (MIA). ^[8]

In March 2021, DHL Aviation announced the relocation of one of its main hub operations from Bergamo to Milan Malpensa Airport, where it opened new logistics facilities. ^[10]

Fleet

A DHL Airbus A300-600RF operated by EAT Leipzig

A DHL Airbus A330-200F operated by EAT Leipzig

A DHL ATR 42-320F operated by DHL de Guatemala

A DHL Boeing 747-400BCF operated by Kalitta Air

A DHL Boeing 757-200PCF operated by EAT Leipzig

A DHL Boeing 767-200BDSF operated by ABX Air

A DHL Boeing 767-300F operated by Tasman Cargo Airlines

A DHL Boeing 777F now operated by Atlas Air

As of December 2025 ^[update] , the DHL Aviation fleet consists of the following aircraft:^{[ citation needed ]}

DHL Aviation fleet

Aircraft	In service		Orders	Operator	Notes
ATR 42-300F	2	1	—	DHL de Guatemala
		1		Vensecar Internacional
ATR 72-500F	4	4	—	Solenta Aviation Gabon
Airbus A300-600RF	34	1	—	Solinair
		6		ASL Airlines Ireland
		27		European Air Transport Leipzig
Airbus A321-200PCF	1	1	—	Levu Air Cargo	[11]
Airbus A330-200F	7	2	—	Air Hong Kong
		4		European Air Transport Leipzig
		1		ASL Airlines Ireland
Airbus A330-300P2F	12	2	—	European Air Transport Leipzig
		10		Air Hong Kong
Boeing 737-300SF	1	1	—	Aeronaves TSM
Boeing 737-400SF	10	1	—	Allied Air
		1		Air Ghana
		2		Cargoair
		1		Aeronaves TSM
		2		Kalitta Charters II
		3		Swiftair	One crashed as Swiftair Flight 5960.
Boeing 737-800SF	1	1	—	Cargoair
Boeing 737-800BCF	4	2	—	Texel Air
		2		Blue Dart Aviation
Boeing 737-800BDSF	12	6	—	Swiftair	[ citation needed ]
		4		Kalitta Charters II
		2		ASL Airlines Ireland
Boeing 747-8F	4	4	—	Polar Air Cargo
Boeing 757-200SF	5	5	—	DHL Air UK
Boeing 757-200PCF	30	4	—	DHL Aero Expreso	One crashed as DHL de Guatemala flight 7216.
		1		Blue Dart Aviation
		7		European Air Transport Leipzig
		18		DHL Air Austria
Boeing 767-200BDSF	4	1	—	21 Air
		3		ABX Air
Boeing 767-300F	6	3	—	DHL Air UK
		3		Tasman Cargo Airlines
Boeing 767-300BCF	16	5	—	DHL Air UK
		6		DHL Aero Expreso
		5		DHL International Aviation ME
Boeing 767-300BDSF	24	1	—	DHL Air UK
		2		Cargojet Airways
		3		DHL Air Austria
		4		21 Air
		5		DHL International Aviation
		9		ABX Air
Boeing 777F	32	2	—	Polar Air Cargo	[12]
		5		Kalitta Air
		5		Singapore Airlines
		7		DHL Air UK
		11		AeroLogic
		2		Central Airlines
Boeing 777-200LR/MF	—	—	9	Mammoth Freighters	Deliveries to commence in 2024. [13] [ needs update ]
Eviation Alice	—	—	12	DHL International Aviation ME	Deliveries to commence in 2024. [14] [ needs update ]
Total	211		21

Accidents and incidents

• In 2002, BAL Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937, a Tupolev Tu-154 passenger jet, collided with DHL International Aviation ME Flight 611, a Boeing 757-200 cargo jet at 35,000 ft (11,000 m) over Überlingen, Germany. All 69 passengers on board the Bashkiran flight (consisting mainly of Russian schoolchildren) and the two pilots of DHL were killed. ^{[15] [16]}
• The DHL shootdown incident in Baghdad on 22 November 2003 wherein Iraqi insurgents fired an SA-7 "Grail" surface-to-air missile at a European Air Transport Airbus A300 operating on behalf of DHL Aviation. The aircraft took off from Baghdad airport whereupon the missile struck the left wing, disabling all three hydraulic systems and set the wing on fire. The aircraft began a dangerous phugoid (vertical oscillation) but the crew managed to land safely at the airport, despite only being able to control the aircraft by adjusting the engine thrust. ^[17]

• On 13 August 2004, Air Tahoma Flight 185, a Convair 580 crashed in Florence, Kentucky due to fuel starvation and pilot error.

• On 18 March 2010, Exin Flight 3589, a DHL Antonov An-26 aircraft made an emergency landing on the frozen Lake Ülemiste, close to Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport. Initial reports indicated problems with the landing gear and one of the engines. The flight was operated by Exin on behalf of DHL. The aircraft involved was SP-FDO and the flight departed from Helsinki Airport. One of the six crew members was injured. ^{[18] [19]}
• On 13 February 2021, the cargo door of DHL Air UK Flight 126, Boeing 757-200 freighter registered G-DHKZ, opened at an altitude of approximately 5,300 ft (1,600 m) after the aircraft departed from Leipzig/Halle Airport. Airframe parts fell on the grounds of a power plant approximately 10 nmi (12 mi; 19 km) from the airport, but no cargo was lost, and the flight crew was able to return to Leipzig/Halle with no injuries. The incident is under investigation. ^[20]
• On 7 April 2022, DHL de Guatemala Flight 7216, a Boeing 757-27A (PCF), crash landed in San Jose, Costa Rica after attempting an emergency landing due to a hydraulic failure. Both crew members survived without injuries. ^[21]
• On 25 November 2024, Swiftair Flight 5960, a Boeing 737-476F, crashed into a house near Vilnius Airport in Vilnius, Lithuania. Out of the four occupants on board, one died while two others were injured. ^{[22] [23]}

See also

• 2003 Baghdad DHL attempted shootdown incident
• 2002 Überlingen mid-air collision
• DHL de Guatemala Flight 7216
• 2004 Air Tahoma CV-580 crash
• 2024 Swiftair Boeing 737 crash

References

1. "First Boeing 757 Arrives for DHL Freighter Conversion Program". boeing.mediaroom.com. 11 July 2000. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
2. "DHL and Boeing in talks over 40 more 757-200 freighters". flightglobal.com. 10 October 2000. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
3. "Participation list" (PDF). Annual Financial Statements. Deutsche Post AG. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
4. "Cathay takes full control of freighter Air Hong Kong". www.scmp.com. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
5. Kulisch, Eric. "Atlas Air, DHL terminate Polar Air Cargo joint venture". FreightWaves.
6. "DHL expansion controversy leads to strike". Eurofound.europa.eu. 27 October 2004. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
7. "DHL Express officially opens its new Brussels Hub". 22 February 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
8. "DHL Express in the US" (PDF). DHL. 2025-06-23.
9. "DHL to Invest $192M USD at Its Hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to Accommodate Growing Fleet". DHL.com. DHL Press Releases. July 31, 2023. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
10. "DHL finds new home in Italy". airliners.de. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
11. "EFW bags six A321P2Fs order from SmartLynx". www.aircargonews.net. 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
12. "DHL Express Places New Order for Six Additional 777 Freighters". The Boeing Company. March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
13. "Mammoth Freighters now aims for 2024 certification". www.aircargonews.net. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
14. "DHL Express Shapes Future for Sustainable Aviation With the Order of First-Ever All-Electric Cargo Planes From Eviation". DHL. 3 August 2021. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
15. "Information regarding the air accident". PlaneCrashInfo.com. Retrieved 2015-08-10.
16. "Information regarding the air accident". AirDisaster.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-28. Retrieved 2015-08-10.
17. "DHL". Flight Safety. Archived from the original on May 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
18. "ESIB Final report | SP-FDO AN-26B" (PDF). Estonian Safety Investigation Bureau (ESIB). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 June 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
19. "Spill threatens Estonian capital's water". NBC news . 19 March 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
20. Simon Hradecky. "Accident: DHL B752 at Leipzig on Feb 13th 2021, cargo door opened in flight". avherald.com. The Aviation Herald . Retrieved 12 April 2024.
21. Simon Hradecky. "Accident: DHL Expreso B752 at San Jose on Apr 7th 2022, hydraulic failure results in runway excursion". avherald.com. The Aviation Herald . Retrieved 12 April 2024.
22. "Vilniuje netoli oro uosto nukrito krovininis lėktuvas: žuvo mažiausiai vienas žmogus" (in Lithuanian). LRT. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
23. "Accident Boeing 737-476(SF) EC-MFE, Monday 25 November 2024". asn.flightsafety.org. Retrieved 2024-11-25.

External links

• Media related to DHL Aviation at Wikimedia Commons
• DHL Express Division - Aviations