FreightWaves reported that DHL Express has completed the $204 million expansion of its super gateway at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in South China's Guangdong province, tripling daily shipping capacity to 992 tons and enabling more direct cargo flights out of one of China's most important manufacturing and export regions.
DHL Express has completed the $204 million expansion of its super gateway at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in South China's Guangdong province, tripling shipping capacity to 992 tons per day.
Capacity and throughput at a glance
According to FreightWaves, the project represents DHL's largest investment in mainland China to date and supports cross-border trade and time-definite international express services. Citing China Daily News, FreightWaves said that once the site reaches full capacity, annual throughput is expected to exceed 286,000 tons — about 10 times the volume handled by the previous Shenzhen gateway. Construction of the facility began in 2022.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Investment | $204 million |
| Daily shipping capacity | 992 tons (tripled) |
| Expected annual throughput at full capacity | >286,000 tons |
| Volume vs previous Shenzhen gateway | ~10 times |
| Construction start | 2022 |
| New freighter equipment | Widebody Boeing 767 cargo jet |
| DHL Group Q2 profit growth | 22% on $25.8 in revenue (as reported) |
Gateway role and Hong Kong connection
A gateway in the DHL network is a regional connection point that links local service centers to the global network, FreightWaves explained. FreightWaves noted that some shipments from producers in Shenzhen are trucked to DHL's main terminal at Hong Kong International Airport when they need to reach other intercontinental hubs.
The newly automated Shenzhen facility, according to FreightWaves, features high-speed sorting systems, automated storage, robotic arms and automated guided vehicles designed to efficiently and safely unload, store, handle, inspect and monitor parcels and larger shipments.
New Boeing 767 route links Shanghai, Bangkok, Bahrain and Brussels
DHL announced this week that it has added a dedicated air route using a widebody Boeing 767 cargo jet linking Shanghai; Bangkok, Thailand; Bahrain and Brussels, Belgium, according to FreightWaves. The route is designed to meet demand for air cargo transport between China and key markets across Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Target sectors and Heavyweight Express
The expansion, FreightWaves reported, gives DHL Express more flexibility to support customers' logistics needs in target sectors including:
- AI data centers
- Semiconductors
- Technology
- Life sciences and healthcare
- Next-generation energy, such as electric batteries
The express air network is also heavily used by e-commerce shippers. The new 767 freighter route aligns with DHL's Heavyweight Express offering, which connects suppliers interested in moving larger shipments through DHL Express's time-definite network with predictable transit times, FreightWaves reported. Express heavyweight is a premium product in the DHL network and one the company is promoting to shippers with urgent consignments that can use the extra capacity in its package freighters.
Shipper and forwarder implications
For freight forwarders and logistics managers moving time-definite express freight out of Shenzhen and the surrounding Pearl River Delta manufacturing region, the tripled daily intake at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport means more origin-side capacity and more direct flight options, according to FreightWaves. Operators with heavy or urgent consignments should review DHL's Heavyweight Express product, which the company is actively marketing alongside the new 767 route, FreightWaves reported.
Watch list
- Further build-out of the Shenzhen gateway toward full capacity, with annual throughput expected to exceed 286,000 tons, or about 10 times the previous gateway's volume, per China Daily News via FreightWaves.
- How the new Shanghai–Bangkok–Bahrain–Brussels 767 routing performs as DHL expands air cargo connections across Asia, the Middle East and Europe, according to FreightWaves.
- DHL Group's continued promotion of Heavyweight Express as second-quarter profit grew 22% on $25.8 in revenue, according to FreightWaves.
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