DHL Air UK
British cargo airline
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
DHL Air (UK) Limited[2][3] is a British cargo airline based in Orbital Park, Hounslow, London.[4] It is wholly owned by Deutsche Post[5] and provides services on the group's DHL-branded parcel and express network in Europe. Its main base is East Midlands Airport.[1] It forms a part of the greater DHL Aviation division.
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History
The company was formed as Elan Air Freight on 11 October 1982 as a joint venture between Air Bridge Carriers and DHL International. It commenced operations in April 1983.[6] Elan Air operated night freight charters using the Armstrong Whitworth Argosy and Handley Page Dart Herald from Southern Ireland and Netherlands. The first green/ doc and red/ wpx bags were customs cleared by Import Agent John Yardley in the Elan Airside Warehouse from 1988-1990. The airline then acquired a Merchantman freighter version of the Vickers Vanguard and later the airline's name changed to DHL Air on 16 May 1989.[citation needed]
DHL Air has held a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A air operator certificate since 30 November 2001 to transport passengers, cargo, and mail on aircraft with a capacity of 20 or more seats.[7] After receiving the license, flight operations began in December 2001.[citation needed] The airline has 422 employees as of April 2022.[1] Its main office is located at EMA Cargo West in the main DHL building at East Midlands Airport.
Fleet
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Current
As of August 2025[update], DHL Air UK operates the following aircraft:[8]
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 757-200SF | 5 | — | |
| Boeing 767-300ER/BCF | 5 | — | |
| Boeing 767-300F | 3 | — | |
| Boeing 777F | 7 | — | |
| Total | 20 | — |
Former
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The airline formerly operated the following aircraft[9]:
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy | 2 | 1984 | 1987 | Operated by Air Bridge Carriers |
| Boeing 757-200PCF | 20 | 2016 | 2022 | |
| Boeing 757-200PF | 1 | 2016 | 2022 | Transferred to DHL Air Austria |
| Boeing 767-300ER(BDSF)[10] | 1 | |||
| Boeing 767-300F[10] | 1 | |||
| Handley Page Dart Herald | 1 | 1986 | 1988 | Operated by British United Air Ferries |
| Vickers Vanguard | 1 | 1987 | 1995 | Operated by Air Bridge Carriers |
Accidents and incidents
- On 13 February 2021, a Boeing 757-200PCF (registered G-DHKZ) returned to land at Leipzig/Halle Airport after its cargo door opened in-flight shortly after departure.[11]
