DHL Aviation To Expand Freight Footprint In Bahrain

BAHRAIN—Logistics and small package specialist DHL Aviation plans to increase its footprint at Bahrain International Airport.

The company signed a memorandum of understanding here at the Bahrain Airshow show on Nov. 14 to build a new hangar at the airport. Bachi Spiga, DHL Middle East and North Africa (MENA) operations director, said that at present, the company has a “very small” hangar there which cannot fully cover one of the 10 Boeing 767-300F freighters under its Bahrain air operator certificate, meaning that maintenance takes place in less-than-ideal conditions.

The new hangar, which Spiga anticipates being available in 2028, will be capable of holding two 767s or one 777. The latter type, operated by parent DHL Aviation, frequently passes through Bahrain.

DHL’s sites in Bahrain have recently undergone a €47 million ($50 million) expansion, including upgrades to sorting and maintenance facilities, as well as ground equipment and storage areas.

While cargo traffic has fluctuated since the pandemic, geopolitical conditions and the subsequent closure of airspace over countries such as Russia mean that significant flows of freight have continued to transit through Bahrain.

Most recently, attacks on Red Sea shipping by Houthi rebels have also led to more freight being moved by air.

DHL MENA also operates two leased 737-800s from local company Texel Air alongside its fleet of 767s. In recent years, flights have expanded beyond intra-Gulf traffic to destinations in the Far East and Western Europe. “We’ve upgraded Bahrain significantly,” Spiga said, adding that the company is seeking to “finalize an opportunity at Dubai World Central.”

DHL also has facilities in Doha, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, with another soon to become operational in Muscat, Oman.