DHL Express France has inaugurated its new gateway at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, marking a major milestone coinciding with the company’s 40th anniversary at the location.
This new hub will handle both Time Definite International and Day Definite International shipments.
Operations are set to begin this summer with direct access to the airport’s runways, enabling the facility to process international, European, national, and local parcels efficiently, whether transported by air or road.
The site will not only serve as an operational hub but also house the regional commercial and support teams, with a total of 400 employees, more than half of DHL Express’s workforce in the region.
Strategically located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, which handles over 20% of DHL’s national volumes, the new site sits at a crucial crossroads for European trade, connecting southern countries like Italy, Spain, and Portugal with northern and central regions such as the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany.
Over the past five years, DHL Express has experienced a 15% increase in activity in France.
After a period of stabilization in 2023 due to global trade fluctuations, the company rebounded with over 45 million parcels handled in 2024, representing a 1% year-over-year growth.
Philippe Prétat, CEO of DHL Express France, emphasized the strategic importance of France within the company’s European network and noted that €425 million has been invested in infrastructure since 2018.
Mike Parra, CEO of DHL Express Europe, linked the new facility to the company’s global mission of connecting people and improving lives.
Cédric Fechter, Chairman of the Management Board of Aéroports de Lyon, applauded DHL’s long-term commitment and underscored the strategic value of the new infrastructure.
The new gateway boasts a maximum processing capacity of 17,500 parcels per hour, five times the current capability.
Presently, the site handles around 38,000 parcels per day, with peak volumes reaching up to 60,000 during the holiday season. The facility is outfitted with advanced systems that streamline parcel handling, cut down manual labor, and reduce processing time by an average of 60 minutes.
The facility achieves a 55% improvement in energy efficiency compared to the previous site and complies with the DHL Group’s most stringent environmental standards. Equipped with 78 EV charging stations, energy-efficient lighting, smart dock doors, a reflective white roof, and rainwater harvesting, the site exemplifies DHL’s commitment to achieving zero emissions by 2050.
