DHL expansion?

killerwhale65 · Post by **killerwhale65** » 13 Sep 2004, 19:14

Hi all,

I wanted to start this thread, cause sooner or later this month some tough decissions have to be made.
For those who do not know about what i'm talking: This month (september), the government has (promised?) to take a decission about the expansion of DHL in BRU.

My question for a start: does anyone know a date? Will it appear in the "beleidsverklaring" from next week?

Marca · Post by **Marca** » 13 Sep 2004, 19:29

I have heart that the decision from the governement will be done the 21 september, but wait and see........

waldova · Post by **waldova** » 13 Sep 2004, 23:10

I hope they will decide for the expansion of DHL. I can't understand that politicians are so stupid to listen to just a couple of hundred people who are against the expansion because of the noise problem. Don't these people realise that they are putting the work of thousands people on the line here?

I mean what would you do? Get a few hundred people happy to decide against but then get thousands of people without a job? If they decide against they are really stupid. If somebody would try to touch to the job of these few hundred people who are against they would also not agree and say that the governement is stupid by taking their job away.

So please, lets hope the Belgian goverenement is smart for once and makes shure that the jobs of thousands of people is insured for the future and that many new jobs can be created.

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » 14 Sep 2004, 00:06

According to someone I know at DHL, they'll stay ...

pilatus · Post by **pilatus** » 14 Sep 2004, 01:50

Well I work also for the DHL group (EAT) and as for as I know nothing is sure yet. But if you analyse the latest news then you see it is getting more positive. Lets hope as I like to work for EAT

Greetz,

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » 14 Sep 2004, 08:45

Now, This is the latest news: DHL bereidt vertrek uit België voor
14/09/2004 08:24
(Belga) DHL wacht niet langer op de Belgische politici, maar is zijn vertrek uit België al aan het voorbereiden. Dat wordt steeds luider gefluisterd in luchtvaartkringen en bevestigd door hoge bronnen in het koeriersbedrijf. Dat schrijven Het Nieuwsblad en Het Volk dinsdag.

DHL zou zijn hoofdkwartier en koeriersdienst in ons land houden, maar België zou naast het Europees sorteercentrum voor pakjes grijpen. Dat centrum kan volgens studies tot 16.000 jobs opleveren. Officieel luidt het bij DHL dat nog niets is beslist. Ook de vakbonden weten niets over een beslissing, al neemt de ongerustheid bij het personeel toe. Als het bedrijf met zijn Europees sorteercentrum vertrekt, kunnen tot 3.000 jobs verdwijnen bij DHL zelf, plus nog eens tot het dubbele daarvan in en om de luchthaven, zo schrijven de kranten. De vakbonden schatten dat zo'n 3.000 jobs hier zouden blijven.

So it seems the HQ will stay in Belgium but main activity will be moved to another country. Thiis will mean, at least 3000 men and women will lose their job.

waldova · Post by **waldova** » 14 Sep 2004, 09:18

Hello Belgian politici? Can you wake up and do what is right before it goes into a disaster? I remember they said that never something like Renault could happen again in Belgium. Well after the Sabena bancruptcy this will one big blow again for the aviation in Belgium and for thousands of people it would be a disaster!! We can't let this happen!

Post by **sn26567** » 14 Sep 2004, 10:14

Luchtzak had already forecast the departure of DHL for a long time. Just make a search on this forum!

DHL is owned by Deutsche Post, in which the German government has a majority ownership. The East of Germany suffers from a high unemployment and its airport in Leipzig-Halle (LEJ) has a lot of space for expansion.

Guess the logical consequences... With or without a desicion of the Belgian government! But the absence of poltical will in Belgium has certainly accelerated the move to Leipzig.

Avro · Post by **Avro** » 14 Sep 2004, 10:38

pilatus wrote:Well I work also for the DHL group (EAT) and as for as I know nothing is sure yet. But if you analyse the latest news then you see it is getting more positive. Lets hope as I like to work for EAT

Greetz,

I still hope you and your colleagues will be able to stay working for EAT here in Zaventem.

Chris

pilatus · Post by **pilatus** » 14 Sep 2004, 13:44

Well still wait and see. As long as it is not official we don't know for sure. Still think that creating those rumours can be postive to force the goverment to hurry up. It is a to importent decision for both DHL and the goverment to be taken without waiting for a final point from the goverment. But be sure if they leave I'll not be surprised.

Greetz,

killerwhale65 · Post by **killerwhale65** » 14 Sep 2004, 15:47

I'm afraid the government let it come too far already. I mean, how would you react if you want to expand and they say: "please come back next year, then we will let you know IF you can ...". I would move also. Won't blame DHL if they do move... Only one is to blame, and we all know who that is.

Post by **sn26567** » 16 Sep 2004, 13:56

I have heard rumours about DHL splitting the business between two hubs: BRU and LEJ. Brussels has the big advantage of being right in the middle of the most lucrative business area of DHL: FRA, LON, AMS, PAR. A move to Leipzig would increase the costs. therefore Leipzig could act a second hub for Central and Eastern Europe.

It is sure that the long hesitations of the Belgian government do not play in favour of Brussels.

C_J · Post by **C_J** » 16 Sep 2004, 18:21

There's one thing that I think is very stupid: people who are mad because they can't sleep from the engine noise. People buy a (cheaper) house around the airport and then they're suprised that there can be some noise. As long as not to many planes go right above Brussels center I don't think it's a gigantic problem. The goverment can't give up so may jobs I think... Maybe a opinion from somebody living in a village like Steenokkerzeel?

killerwhale65 · Post by **killerwhale65** » 16 Sep 2004, 20:25

sn26567 wrote:therefore Leipzig could act a second hub

Second or secondary? Big difference

Lyulka · Post by **Lyulka** » 16 Sep 2004, 21:01

I think the problem should be seen from two sides: the German, and the Belgian side. DHL is at the moment under huge pressure. Being a German company I can understand the move to Leipzig (I don't say I agree with it!), because it's good for German economy, which is doing very bad at this moment. So every new job is one won for them, lost for us. Belgian politicians have to come up with a lot more arguments to keep them here, not only give them the right to expand.
I'm afraid it's a 1 -0 lead for Leipzig right now...

Avro · Post by **Avro** » 16 Sep 2004, 21:18

killerwhale65 wrote:
sn26567 wrote:therefore Leipzig could act a second hub
Second or secondary? Big difference

If such a scenario will happen, then I'm afraid but the BRU-HUB will be smaller than the one in Leipzig.

I'm afraid it's a 1 -0 lead for Leipzig right now...

I would rather say 5-1 for Leipzig for the moment

Chris

lumumba · Post by **lumumba** » 16 Sep 2004, 21:35

Hi everybody.
No the hub in leipzig will be more for the aestern part of Europe.
And bru will be big enough for sure they are some limits here.
But the most inportant is that DHL will stey .
And they will go to somthing between 25000 to 30000 night flight's(my opinion)good for 12000 to 16000 workers.
And Leipzig will give the possibility to DHL to grow more and if another hub in the far futur will be neede they will make one more.
Regards
Patrice

pilatus · Post by **pilatus** » 16 Sep 2004, 23:12

Well I don't know who saw "Ter Zake" today. It was very interesting, specially when thay went to Leipzig. It seems that the people are not so happy with DHL as the local politici claim. There is at this moment already a lot of protest against the possible noise problem.

Greetz,

Post by **sn26567** » 17 Sep 2004, 09:16

C_J wrote:There's one thing that I think is very stupid: people who are mad because they can't sleep from the engine noise. People buy a (cheaper) house around the airport and then they're suprised that there can be some noise.

True. But there are also people who bought an expensive ground and/or house in a quiet neighbourhood, and are now disturbed by plane noises because of the stupid dispersion plan, whereas before all the flights were concentrated - as they should be.

LX-LGX · Post by **LX-LGX** » 17 Sep 2004, 15:15

This is a forum so I'm allowed to give my idea, although some won't agree with it:

Let us please be realistic and stay with the facts. Two different cases are mixted up in this discussion. The old discussion about night flights, and DHL's new expansion plans.

There was never a problem with our airport, even not when old generation planes (DC-8, B707, 747-100) took off. The people from Berg and Kampenhout were used to it, and the old locals from Sterrebeek or Haren didn’t mind. They just phone BIAC Maintenance if a plane has damaged their roof.

Then came those guys who have bought a cheap home in an expensive town near BRU and two years later wanted that BRU would be closed from 22h00 till 08h00. But frankly: their home was built long after the actual runways came into use, so they have to shut up. But they have found their way into the media, and it seems to me that journalists sympathise with them.

The problems we’re now facing started with the dispertion plan of Bertje Bleiter Anciaux: people who have bought an expensive house in a quiet neighbourhood, far away from BRU couldn’t sleep anymore because all of a sudden 737’s on their way to Spain or Turkey wake them up at 04h00, followed 15 minutes later by a DHL-757. But their homes are not as good isolated like the ones in Berg, and they are not used to planes taking off at 04h00: the dispertion plan indeed hurts them. If they would have known this would happen, they wouldn’t have bought a house in that area.

DHL also couldn’t find a worse timing to announce their expansion as this period, because people are still complaining against the scandalous dispertion plan from Anciaux.

The Brussels politicians are not correct either: they don’t want the airport to have more night flights, but as BRU-airport officially is Brussels territory, it’s Brussels who is collecting most of the taxes. Just look at the taxis outside the airport: they all pay their licence to Brussels. If the Brussels crocodiles don’t want the disadvantages from an airport, they shouldn’t be allowed to take the benefits either.

Finally, DHL will not need 9.000 new employees. They’ve never said that either: it was the same guy (Guy V.) who has promised us 200.000 new jobs some years ago. Leipzig is expecting 2.500 to 3.000 new employees (= said their mayor in Terzake – yesterday) for a new centre. BRU already has a DHL distribution centre, so DHL will need only (with all respect) a few hundred new employees.

My conclusion therefore is:

1. cancel the dispertion plan from Anciaux
2. keep the night flights at level, in order to keep DHL in BRU
3. wish DHL best luck with their European centre in Bierset or Leipzig
4. ATC should decide which runway has to be used, not a minister

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