DHL Express has announced that it has begun construction on a 305,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art aviation maintenance facility and expanded aircraft apron at its Global Hub at the Cincinnati/Northern KentuckyInternational Airport (CVG). The $292 million* facility will enable more efficient repairs, reducing aircraft downtime and improving service reliability to support timely customer deliveries. The expansion of the aircraft apron will allow for the accommodation of more aircraft, increasing the capability to handle a larger volume of shipments.

The LEED-certified, carbon neutral aviation maintenance hangar will be built on an additional 50 acres that DHL is leasing and will be able to house two Boeing-777s side by side. With this expansion project, line maintenance activities will also be weatherproofed and will accommodate maintenance tasks for DHL’s fleet of 737s, 767s, and 777s.

The expansion also includes the addition of 300 employees to support the new maintenance facility as part of a recently developed joint venture between DHL Express and Kalitta Air, a long-time service partner for DHL and provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services to global customers. Kalitta Air and DHL will jointly oversee the critical aircraft maintenance activity at the new facility.

Additional features of air / landside buildout

  • 50-acre aircraft parking apron with 8 new aircraft gates and 3 new maintenance gates
  • Hangar accommodates two Boeing 777s or four Boeing 767s, with additional space for aircraft components storage
  • Other amenities include GSE staging, underground foam containment, loading dock and service entrance, backup generator, HAZMAT storage, large water tank, offices and employee parking

The new facility is expected to be fully operational by January 2026.

DHL’s CVG hub currently operates on 194 acres with 67 aircraft parking gates and 6.4 million
sq. ft. of ramp area. It sits at the heart of the DHL Express Americas network with 117 daily flights and a fleet of 64 aircraft, connecting customers from more than 220 countries and territories worldwide to every corner of the U.S. It is also one of three DHL global superhubs, with the other two based in Hong Kong and Germany.

*Editor’s Note: The investment amount originally reported in 2023 was increased from $192 million to $292 million due to local market costs of labor and materials. 

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