DHL Express $78M Investment at Miami International Airport Hub Enhance Connections and Service Capabilities

DHL Express has invested more than $78 million to renovate and expand its existing Miami International Airport (MIA) hub facility.

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These improvements enhance the company’s connections and service capabilities adding new flights to and from Europe, Asia Pacific, South America as well as Chile, Mexico, and cities in the US.

With the holiday season in full swing already, the investment comes at an opportune time and on the heels of significant volume growth, particularly from international B2C and B2B eCommerce.

DHL Express expects Year-to-Year (YoY) double-digit shipment growth to continue throughout the Americas region during the peak holiday season.

Over the last two years, the Americas region countries experienced an average B2C shipment growth of 44% in 2020 (YoY), and 21% in 2021 (YTD Sept) as a result of the pandemic with the surge in eCommerce.

“Our Miami Hub has always been a key gateway into South and Central America and the Caribbean, and with the new investments and flights, it’s fantastic to see us even more connected to the rest of the world. This is all part of our continual drive to expand and improve our infrastructure, modernize and grow our air fleets and establish new routes. The overall results are improved flexibility, reliability and service for our customers’ ever-growing international shipping needs.”

Mike Parra, CEO, DHL Express Americas

DHL Express MIA Hub Investment Part of Larger $360 Million Plan

The investment is part of a larger $360 million plan to increase volume capacity in DHL Express Americas by nearly 30% by the end of 2022, including new state-of-the-art automated sorting equipment.

Automation increases the facility’s sorting capacity per hour by almost double with a nearly twofold warehouse space gain (now at 206,000 sq. ft.) and twice the load positions for conveyable packages.

The space is now prepared to handle the increased traffic during this peak season.

In addition with a look toward safety and security, the DHL Express Hub was equipped with state-of-the-art Automated Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) Machines (RTT), enabling high-quality 3D CT images for advanced automated explosive detection at the first level of screening.

“A key philosophy for DHL Express is to engineer safety into our facilities, and the expansion was designed to not only provide an environment where our employees can operate safely, but also where they can thrive,” added Parra.

DHL Express now operates an average of 193 weekly flights at the MIA Hub using a combination of Boeing B737F, B757F, B767F, B777F, and Airbus A330F aircraft.

Miami International Airport offers DHL Express the benefits it needs to meet the growing demands of its international shipping customers, including in-house Customs brokers and US Customs and Border Protection personnel working on-site to facilitate faster shipment clearance.

In September 2021, DHL Express also launched a new facility in Hamilton, Ontario, where it invested $100 million CAD to build the new facility, four times the size of the original building, to meet the significant increase in shipping volumes in the Americas region as well.

All of these imrovement allow DHL Express to meet the challenges to offer shippers more options and faster service in an ever more connected global trade world.