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From its modest beginnings, DHL Aviation has risen to become one of the world's giants in airport logistics. With 1,600 employees, the Brussels hub has established itself as an essential link in the transport of critical shipments. In this world where night work is the norm, what are the rules governing this strategic sector? We take a behind-the-scenes look at this success story with Managing Director Kirsten Carlier.

What milestones have marked the development of DHL Aviation in Brussels?

K.C.: DHL set up operations at Brussels Airport in the summer of 1985, where we started out in a small hangar. In 1989, we carried out our first major upgrade of our sorting system, before inaugurating a new state-of-the-art logistics hub at Brucargo, the cargo area of Brussels Airport, in 2017. For forty years, we have been at the forefront in many areas, from shipment tracking to recognising women's right to work at night.

What role does your hub play in the DHL Group's global logistics ecosystem?

K.C.: Brussels used to be DHL's main European hub, but in 2008 our main hub moved to Leipzig. Since then, Brussels has been operating as a regional hub. But as Belgium is a major exporting country, we are now the fourth largest DHL hub in the world and the second largest in Europe. We specialise in urgent shipments: pharmaceuticals, critical machine parts, essential personal documents or seemingly insignificant items that suddenly become important, such as a spare car key when people are stranded abroad.

What are the main challenges of night work?

K.C.: There are two major challenges. Firstly, recruiting people who are willing and able to work at night. This schedule isn't suitable for everyone, and our activities are becoming increasingly complex: shipping a Life Science product requires very different skills from those needed for a simple e-commerce parcel. We therefore invest heavily in internal training, but it remains a real challenge. On the other hand, the debate on night flights around the airport remains a sensitive issue. However, they are essential to our business: if the world operated at night, we could operate during the day! Tighter noise restrictions would have a considerable impact on our logistics.

‘The debate on night flights around the airport remains a sensitive issue. However, they are essential to our business: if the world operated at night, we could operate during the day!’

What regulations govern night work in the airport sector?

K.C.: In Belgium, national legislation and sectoral agreements define night work as hours worked between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. At DHL Aviation, we apply a more advantageous scheme: employees who start at 6 p.m. or finish at 8 a.m. receive a 20% night shift bonus on all hours worked. This benefit,

Negotiated with the social partners, it is included in our company collective agreement. Our night shift runs from 6 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., supplemented by a short morning shift starting at 6 a.m., which is essential for finalising the import operations initiated during the night. Schedules are organised according to operational needs, while ensuring that all our teams enjoy the same benefits. These different schedules are also an asset in terms of work-life balance. Thanks to our expanded bonus policy and other internal benefits, DHL Aviation is increasingly attractive in the night-shift labour market.

‘Our company operates continuously. We can offer a wide range of flexible working arrangements, tailored to each situation.’

Is flexi-job part of your recruitment practices?

K.C.: The flexi-job system does not apply to our sector. However, we favour an agile and creative approach to employment management. Our goal is to balance our operational needs with the personal preferences of our employees. Some choose to work full-time at night, others prefer a shorter shift, for example from 8 p.m. to midnight, or even concentrated activity on Saturdays. Since our company operates continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, we can offer a wide range of flexible working arrangements tailored to each situation.

What are your plans for the next 40 years?

K.C.: We are here to stay and look forward to the next 40 years. It goes without saying that DHL in 2065 will not be the same as DHL in 2025, just as our operations today are not comparable to those of 1985. Forty years is a very long time in business, so it is unwise to predict the future. But DHL is a service provider, and as long as the Belgian economy continues to grow, so will we. In a changing world, we strive to be a stable and reliable partner for our customers, while continuing to specialise in industries of the future, such as Life Science & Health products and new energies. And we will do so in the most sustainable way possible. We have therefore invested in the electrification of our ground support equipment and in sustainable aviation fuels.

Pionnier du transport de nuit, DHL Aviation Bruxelles continue de façonner l'avenir du transport aérien, en repoussant sans cesse les limites de la logistique moderne. Engagement durable et croissance responsable : tel est le credo d’un hub d’exception.

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