DHL, MFAG extend partnership until 2053
Leipzig/Halle Airport will play a central role in DHL Group's global logistics network for decades to come
Michael Kretschmer, Prime Minister of Saxony (left), and Tobias Meyer, CEO, DHL Group
DHL Group has extended the framework agreement with Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG (MFAG), the operator of Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany, ahead of schedule by a further 15 years until 2053.
"The company is making a significant contribution to the economic stability and future viability of Leipzig/Halle Airport and the region. In addition, the Group will continue to expand the aprons over the next few years and reaffirm its commitment to the Schkeuditz site," says an official release from DHL.
"The DHL Hub in Leipzig is an important engine for the economy of Central Germany," says Tobias Meyer, CEO, DHL Group. "We welcome the extension of the framework agreement, which gives us planning security, enables further investment in the site and provides long-term security for the jobs at the hub. Even though we are now paying significantly higher fees for the remaining term of the old agreement, the result is economically viable. We would like to expressly thank the Saxon state government for its continued strong commitment to the site. At the same time, we hope that MFAG will successfully overcome its structural problems and that business beyond DHL will also develop positively. DHL's development at the Schkeuditz site is a success story and we hope for further fruitful cooperation with all partners involved."
Michael Kretschmer, Prime Minister of Saxony adds: "The DHL hub in Leipzig stands for the Saxon success story of which we in Saxony are proud. In just 16 years, Leipzig/Halle Airport has grown into one of the world's most important centres for air freight. The Free State of Saxony successfully campaigned for the establishment of the hub in 2008; today, we have created a long-term perspective for further investment in Leipzig as a logistics location. The extended partnership with DHL ensures that Saxony will play a leading role in the growing international trade."
The DHL air freight hub at Leipzig/Halle Airport is the largest of three global hubs in the DHL Express network. "Every night, 2,000 tonnes of freight in the form of 350,000 shipments are handled and flown to more than 50 destinations worldwide by an average of 75 aircraft per working day."
The Group has so far invested around €780 million at the Leipzig site and created more than 7,000 jobs, the release added.
