DHL celebrates 40 years at Brussels Airport with book launch and staff festivities

DHL is marking 40 years of continuous operations at Brussels Airport, making it the only airline to have flown to the Zaventem airport uninterruptedly for four decades – even during the Covid pandemic, when vaccines were shipped worldwide from its hub.

To celebrate, four staff parties are being held this week – ensuring time-critical shipments keep moving – and a commemorative book, “In the Dead of the Night: 40 Years of DHL at Zaventem,” will be published on 15 October by Pelckmans. The richly illustrated volume chronicles DHL’s growth from a 1985 start-up sending bank documents to one of the company’s four largest global air freight hubs, employing 1,600 people, mostly on the night shift.

“Over forty years, we’ve become a vital link for Belgian companies – transporting everything from radioactive isotopes for cancer treatment to custom-made stents and crucial spare parts,” said Kirsten Carlier, CEO of DHL Aviation. “Even though we operate in 220 countries, our success here has always been about people – our family of colleagues who make the impossible happen every night.”

DHL’s Brussels hub now handles an average of 200,000 shipments per business day, with 60% originating from Belgium and neighbouring regions. A new state-of-the-art warehouse, opened in 2017, helps ensure most deliveries reach destinations within 24 hours or 48 hours worldwide.

The anniversary also pays tribute to DHL’s “dinosaurs” – employees from the early days now nearing retirement – and to the company’s deep local roots. In true Belgian spirit, fries will feature prominently at the celebrations, recalling the 1990s tradition of Frit Snack National, once a 24/7 haunt for night-shift staff.

“This book captures the stories and spirit of our pioneers,” said Carlier. “It connects generations and shows how an international company can have a truly local heart.”

Authored by Lorenzo Van de Pol, DHL’s Director of Public Affairs, and Michel Smout, employee number 29, the 208-page book gathers interviews with over 40 current and former employees, politicians, and partners, illustrating how DHL Aviation grew from a small Belgian operation into a global logistics hub with strong community ties.

In the Dead of the Night: 40 Years of DHL at Zaventem will be available in stores and online from 15 October 2025.