DHL Air UK
British cargo airline
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
DHL Air UK, incorporated as DHL Air Ltd., is a British cargo airline based in Orbital Park, Hounslow, London Borough of Hounslow.[2] It is wholly owned by Deutsche Post[3] 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.
| |||||||
.jpg) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | 11 October 1982 (as Elan Air) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 8 November 1983 | ||||||
| Hubs | |||||||
| Fleet size | 20 | ||||||
| Parent company | DHL | ||||||
| Headquarters | Hounslow, United Kingdom | ||||||
| Employees | 270 (2007)[1] | ||||||
| Website | www.dhl.com | ||||||
History
The company was formed as Elan Air on 11 October 1982 and commenced operations on 8 November 1983.[4] 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.[5] After receiving the license, flight operations began in December 2001.[citation needed] The airline has 270 employees as of March 2007.[1] Its main office is located at EMA Cargo West in the main DHL building at East Midlands Airport.
Fleet
.jpg)
Current
As of August 2025[update], DHL Air UK operates the following aircraft:[6]
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 757-200SF | 5 | — | |
| Boeing 767-300ER/BCF | 5 | — | |
| Boeing 767-300F | 3 | — | |
| Boeing 777F | 7 | — | |
| Total | 20 | — |
Former
_Vanguard(Merchantman),_ELAN_Cargo_MAN_SEP87_(12945914014).jpg)
The airline formerly operated the following aircraft:[citation needed]
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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)[7] | 1 | |||
| Boeing 767-300F[7] | 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.[8]
