DHL Express launch new cargo airline that handles 18 Boeing 757 aircraft

On Monday, DHL Express inaugurated a new cargo airline DHL Air Austria, headquartered at Vienna Airport. DHL Air Austria will handle European cargo flights in the future with eighteen Boeing 757 aircraft and around 176 pilots.

The inauguration flight of the first registered Boeing 757 under the Austrian flag also took place in the presence of key partners from the responsible aviation authorities such as the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology and Austro Control.

The founding of DHL Air Austria is an important milestone for DHL Express in Austria, which began 41 years ago: “With this important step, we are making our air freight network in Europe more flexible and stable, while at the same time continuing to meet our customers' high demand for cross-border express deliveries and providing them with sufficient capacity,” says Ralf Schweighöfer, CEO, DHL Express Austria.

The demand and supply, the importance of import and export is rapidly increasing and is said to keep growing even after the pandemic ends. This DHL Express is making a contribution to the economic recovery of the European economy after the Covid-19 pandemic. “The new airline DHL Air Austria is an important boost for our aviation industry and the domestic economy. The location decision for Austria is a strong signal for our country. The new headquarter at Vienna International Airport will also create an important value for the region,” emphasized Dr. Magnus Brunner, State Secretary for Aviation.

Cake Cutting with Dr. Magnus Brunner, State Secretary for Aviation; Barbara Achleitner, Managing Director of DHL Air Austria and Ralf Schweighöfer, CEO of DHL Express Austria

The employees at the Vienna International Airport will manage the airline's daily operations, from crew scheduling and flight planning to crew training. In addition, DHL Air Austria is creating around 54 new and sustainable jobs in Office Park 4 at Vienna Airport.

“The establishment of DHL Express' first Austrian airline and the receipt of all licenses is a historic moment for all of us. The efficient implementation of this important milestone would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our team and, above all, without the great support of the responsible ministry as well as Austro Control. It makes us particularly proud that we have managed such enormous achievements together as a team within nine months and that we are creating 54 new jobs at our headquarters at Vienna International Airport,” says Barbara Achleitner, managing director, DHL Air Austria.

After initial talks with the Austrian authorities in February of this year, the AOC (Air Operator Certificate) required to operate the airline and consequently the OL (Operating License) was issued on 18 October 2021. DHL Air Austria was thus able to prove to the relevant authorities that it had completed all the necessary procedures for operating the new cargo airline in a record time of only nine months.

Currently, three of the total eighteen Boeings are already registered in Austria. The transfer of another fifteen Boeing 757 aircraft to DHL Air Austria is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022. By then, the DHL Air Austria team will have moved into the modern Office Park 4 and will be managing operations from there.

After examining several options in various European countries, Austria was chosen as the optimal location for the new cargo airline. In addition to stable political and economic conditions and the excellent global reputation of the domestic aviation authorities, the location also offers the best geographical conditions in the heart of Europe.

This is also confirmed by Dr Valerie Hackl, managing director of Austro Control, “I am particularly pleased that with DHL Air Austria we can welcome another airline to the Austrian aircraft register. I would like to thank DHL Express for the good and professional cooperation, which has made it possible to complete this process so quickly and efficiently. It is also a sign of the high quality of our aviation authorities and a consequence of the high quality of service we offer our customers every day that more and more renowned airlines are finding their way to Austria. We have earned this excellent international reputation in recent years, and we intend to continue along this path in the future as a modern and service-oriented aviation authority.”