After 63 years, Deutsche Post is discontinuing its night airmail network in Germany, opting for road transport for sustainability reasons. The last night flights between certain routes have occurred, with letters now exclusively transported by road. This decision is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 80%.
On the night of 28 March, Eurowings and TUI fly aircraft took off for the last time on the Stuttgart-Berlin, Hanover-Munich and Hanover-Stuttgart routes in both directions to transport letters between northern, eastern and southern Germany.
Marc Hitschfeld of DHL Group states that while it marks the end of an era, it’s a positive move for the environment. The night airmail network began in 1961 to expedite letter delivery but has become obsolete with digital communication.
Deutsche Post plans to adapt to longer letter delivery times, focusing on socio-ecological priorities in the postal sector.