"This infrastructure, and this expansion, aims to meet growth needs. We have been growing very consistently over the years", the CEO of DHL Express Portugal, José Reis, told Lusa.

When the first phase of the DHL terminal was installed at Francisco Sá Carneiro airport, in Maia (Porto district), in 2012, the facilities "were designed well above the needs at the time, that is, with a capacity well above the reality of the business at the time".

"In 10 years we were able to exhaust the capacity of the facilities, which is why we are now making this investment", said the manager in an interview with Lusa at the new facilities.

The new facilities that will serve the North and Centre of the country, which have been inaugurated today, will also allow us to "respond to current and future growth needs", and are designed to "absorb an average growth of 10% per year over the next 15 to 20 years".

Announced in February 2023, the investment, which slightly exceeded 25 million euros, follows growth since 2012 and in particular between 2019 and 2023.

"Porto has grown by 13.5% from 2019 to 2023. This is very, very significant growth. Of course, all of this is the result of the dynamics of the business fabric in the North", he says.

According to José Reis, "DHL grows according to the dynamics of the business sector, and it is important to note and underline that the North has had a very, very strong dynamic".

According to DHL, the fashion, automotive and consumer goods segments dominate business-to-business trade, and the fashion and goods segment, as well as technology, also dominate consumer sales.

The top import origins are Italy, France and the Netherlands, while exports processed by DHL are from France, the United States and Germany. The total area of ​​the Porto terminal triples to 18,000 square meters (useful area of ​​11 thousand m2), with DHL having the capacity to process 6,500 pieces per hour (+150%) for imports, 5,500 (+300%) for exports, with around 11,000 shipments made per day.

The new terminal, which has a capacity for around 50 tons of cargo per day, employs around 200 people, and operates around 70 vehicles and two to three planes per day, depending on the day of the week.

"This is three times the number of planes we had in 2012, which is truly remarkable, and it describes the capacity of the North, the entrepreneurial capacity of the North", explained José Reis.

According to the manager, the Porto terminal "is the most prepared facility" for DHL in Portugal, which contrasts with the situation in Lisbon, where a 50 million euro investment in Humberto Delgado airport is awaiting execution.

"We are currently holding meetings with Lisbon City Council, and we feel and understand that the municipality is very receptive to DHL being able to build these facilities at the current airport", he says, but this does not mean that this is a wasted investment, given the construction of a new airport.

"When this change takes place, to the new airport, we will keep these facilities operating", guaranteed José Reis, adding that they will be in the future at the new Luís de Camões airport.