DHL Express inaugurates new €80M international hub in Barcelona

DHL Express has inaugurated its new international hub at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, reinforcing Catalonia’s role as a global logistics and trade gateway.

Completed in less than two years with an investment of €80 million, the facility increases sorting capacity to over 20,000 parcels per hour, seven times higher than the previous hub. The launch has also led to a 10% increase in qualified jobs at the site, providing employees with a modern, safe, and comfortable work environment.

The new hub will serve as a key platform for both import and export operations, connecting international air routes across Europe, America, and North Africa.

“Spain plays a strategic role thanks to its advanced logistics infrastructure and its geographical location, serving as an unrivaled bridge between Europe, Africa, and especially Latin America”

Jesús Sánchez, Senior Vice President HUBs at DHL Express Europe

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Barcelona has been a cornerstone of DHL Express operations since 1995, supporting local exports and sustained growth. Today, the company works with more than 20,000 Spanish firms, over 20% of which are based in Catalonia.

Mike Parra, CEO of DHL Express Europe, said: "The new Barcelona hub is a strategic investment built for future growth, reinforcing our role in global trade and supporting DHL Group’s Strategy 2030: Accelerate Sustainable Growth. Designed as a strategic hub within our European network, it is equipped to adapt to an increasingly complex and dynamic global landscape."

DHL Express saw its activity in Barcelona grow by 30% in just five years, driven mainly by the rise of international e-commerce. This growth was followed by a period of stabilization due to a global slowdown in trade and online shopping. The new hub is designed with a long-term vision, prepared to adapt to shipment flows over the next 20 years while minimizing environmental impact in line with the Group’s sustainability goals.

Miguel Borrás, Managing Director of DHL Express Spain, stated: "The inauguration of these facilities is a source of pride and a reflection of our growth, our vision for the future, and our strong commitment to excellence in service, innovation, and sustainability. The new hub is an investment in our present, but above all, in our future and that of the vast Catalan business network that we have supported for years in its international expansion."

The facility integrates advanced safety and sustainability features. It includes customs control and state-of-the-art X-ray systems, as well as photovoltaic panels, 37 electric charging points (expandable to full capacity), smart LED lighting, and water recycling systems. Designed to align with DHL Group’s target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, it also contributes to the company’s intermediate objective of reducing its CO₂ footprint to below 29 million tonnes by 2030 and achieving 30% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) usage by the same year.

Every day, DHL Express operates 10 flights from its own aviation network at Barcelona-El Prat and utilizes six additional intercontinental commercial connections. The company also plans to add two new network flights and expand intercontinental connectivity through commercial routes.

Jesús Sánchez, Senior Vice President HUBs at DHL Express Europe, underlined Spain’s key role in the company’s operations: "Spain plays a strategic role in the DHL Express global network thanks to its advanced logistics infrastructure and its geographical location, which serves as an unrivaled bridge between Europe, Africa, and especially Latin America, a very attractive market for Spanish small and medium-sized enterprises, where we manage up to 150 weekly flights from our country. Spain is not only a country in which DHL Express operates; it also serves as a strategic hub for innovation, talent development, sustainability, and international expansion, and thereby plays a key role in our global network."

The inauguration of the Barcelona hub also precedes further DHL investments in Catalonia, including the opening of a new operational facility in Girona later this year.

Source: DHL Group