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DHL EXPRESS OPENS NEW $84.5M HUB IN ATLANTA

DHL (OTC: DHLGY) Express, the world’s leading provider of express shipping services, has announced the grand opening of its Americas region hub based at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). With a focus on sustainability, the $84.5 million investment further strengthens the company’s connections and service capabilities between the U.S. and key global markets, increasing capacity, speeding transit times, and adding resilience to its network.

Spanning 100,000 square feet, the state-of-the-art hub establishes direct connections between 19 cities in the Southeastern U.S. and key global markets, including Europe and major DHL hubs worldwide. Future plans involve adding flight connections to Hong Kong, Mexico, the UK, and Puerto Rico.

The DHL Atlanta Hub also sets new standards for sustainability, generating up to 50% of its on-site energy consumption through 65,000 sq. ft of rooftop solar panels, preventing the release of 380 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually. The remaining energy consumed on-site is sourced from renewable sources through Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), guaranteeing zero emissions from electricity consumption. Moreover, the hub employs environmentally conscious features such as LED lights, electric forklifts, dock seals, and rapid rise doors, further minimizing its environmental impact.

The Atlanta hub operates as a fully automated facility, equipped with cutting-edge technology capable of sorting up to 20,000 pieces per hour. To ensure swift clearance of DHL customer shipments, the hub employs in-house Customs brokers and collaborates with on-site U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel. Additionally, DHL implements advanced threat detection and security screening technologies, effectively preventing the entry of illegal and hazardous commodities into its network.

Power Outage Shuts Down Atlanta International Airport

A power outage at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, the world’ busiest airport, left thousands of travelers stranded in the dark for hours. The blackout shut down all airlines and aircraft, and hit the facility around 1 p.m. on Sunday. The power was not fully restored at the airport until around 11:45 at night. Reports have indicated that the power failure may have been caused by a faulty switch in a nearby underground electrical facility that caught on fire. The flames caused extensive damaged to the facility, and had to be put out before Georgia Power could enter the facility and restore power.

The City of Atlanta opened up the Georgia International Convention Center as a temporary shelter, and provided shuttle service to anyone that needed a place to stay for the night. Reports indicate that around 5,000 meals were also provided to passengers affected by the shutdown. The airport also stated that it will waive parking fees at the airport until 8 a.m. on Tuesday for affected travelers. The fiasco resulted in the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.

Delta Air Lines, in which Atlanta is its main hub of operations, canceled approximately 900 flights Sunday as a result of the power failure. Another 48 flights also had to be diverted to alternate airports due to the shutdown in Atlanta. The airline originally stated that operations would begin in full on Monday morning, but then issued a follow up statement that it expects up to 300 early-morning flights to be cancelled. Customers are being encouraged to check their flight status Monday morning before heading to the airport. Delta also stated that it will offer travelers affected by the shutdown a “one-time” change to tickets without fee for flights through Tuesday.