DHL Express plans €131 million expansion at Incheon Airport

DHL Express announced its largest-ever investment in South Korea with a €131 million expansion of its gateway at Incheon International Airport (ICN), according to a company statement on Tuesday. The expansion is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2022.

The DHL Express hub next to ICN opened in 2008 and has since seen more than a 45% increase in shipment volume. With the new investment, the facility size will increase by nearly 200%, from 20,000 square meters to 58,700 square meters, and will also receive several technology upgrades to boost the ICN gateway’s handling volume by more than 150%.

The investment will include the addition of fully automated x-ray inspection machines, a 4-kilometer conveyor belt, automated sorters, magnetic speed controllers and full closed-circuit television (CCTV) coverage. The facility will also add several “green” features to reduce its carbon footprint as part of Deutsche Post DHL Group’s mission to reach net-zero logistics-related carbon emissions by 2050, including solar power and energy-efficient lighting.

“The expansion plan is an important milestone for us and testifies to our long-term commitment to South Korea,” said ByungKoo Han, country manager for DHL Express Korea. “With one of the world’s highest rates of online shopping, and its trajectory to become the world’s third-largest e-commerce market after China and the United States by 2023, this Gateway expansion will create the foundation for e-commerce businesses to expand both locally and across the Asia-Pacific region.”