WEEKLY NEWS


HOW DHL IS REDEFINING INCLUSION AT SCALE


AIR CARG O WEEK


BY Anastasiya SIMSEK


WHEN people think of global logistics, they picture parcels in motion, planes in the air, numbers ticking across tracking screens. What they don’t see is the infrastructure of inclusion quietly embedded within that system. Ranked #1 among Best Workplaces™ in Europe for the fifth


consecutive year, DHL Express continues to lead not only on employee engagement, but on something far harder to engineer: a truly barrier- free working environment. And nowhere is this more visible than at the heart of its European air network - the DHL Leipzig Hub.


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Inclusion by design At Leipzig, accessibility isn’t treated as a special arrangement. It’s built into the system. The DHL Hub Leipzig underscores its long-standing commitment to integrating employees with physical impairments and disabilities. Currently, around 380 employees with severe disabilities or equal status are a permanent part of the team at DHL Express’ largest global hub. This figure demonstrates how deeply inclusion is embedded at the site: people with different limitations take on responsible roles, including in operational areas, and make a significant contribution to the success of the operation. “Inclusion is not a one-time project for us, but a firmly established


part of our corporate culture. We invest in solutions that remove barriers and open new perspectives. This strengthens not only equal opportunities but also our team and our performance,” emphasises Corinna Schleier, Labor Director and Member of the Management Board at the DHL Hub Leipzig. “Of course, we meet the legal requirements for employing people


with severe disabilities – but what matters most to us is how their perspectives and abilities enrich our team. Inclusion in the workplace also helps to dismantle barriers in everyday life. It normalises interactions with disability and helps to reduce hesitation or fear,” Schleier adds. Employees with a wide range of disabilities work seamlessly


across the site — not in isolated departments, but at the heart of operations, from mail sorting to load planning. Visual tools, screen-based instructions, and subtitled video training shape workflows that ensure everyone can contribute effectively. “One of the things we’re focused


on is the community around Leipzig. We’re always looking for ways to employ and support people with disabilities — not just at a policy level, but operationally,” Mike Parra,


CEO DHL Express Europe, said. Accessibility at DHL Express has expanded company-wide. Subtitles are standard on internal training videos. Live


closed captioning is used in webinars. Sign language interpretation is available when needed. These practices, strengthened


across


2024–2025, are part of a global


framework led by


the company’s Abilities Alliance, a network that connects


employees with disabilities and ACW 23 FEBRUARY 2026


Putting people first Beyond operations, DHL’s Leipzig Hub leads in workplace wellbeing — particularly for night shift employees, whose needs are often overlooked in traditional workplace models.


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advocates for structural change. Physical infrastructure supports this, too. Leipzig’s facilities are


fully wheelchair-enabled, while biometric palm scanners (instead of fingerprint-only access) ensure staff with limb differences can enter and work freely. For employees, it means fewer obstacles — and more focus on doing their job. The DHL Hub Leipzig has, for years. relied on initiatives that make


the working environment more inclusive. Innovative projects ensure that employees with physical impairments can carry out their work. One example is the Deaf Project, which began in 2020 with the first so-called “Deaf Team.” At the time, it was considered unimaginable to employ deaf


colleagues in a dynamic and operational environment like the DHL Hub Leipzig. Through extensive preparation and close cooperation between operational departments, health management, company physicians, the works council, and the representatives for employees with severe disabilities, the necessary framework conditions were created. Today, five years later, the project is a complete success: 19 deaf colleagues are now part of the team and demonstrate what inclusion looks like in practice. Another example of inclusion in action is the strapwinding machine.


This technical innovation is far more than just an aid: it enables ten barrier-free workstations and shows how creativity and courage can bring real inclusion to life. The next inclusion project is already planned for 2026 – “netzhandling,” another ergonomic solution designed to adapt workstations to individual needs. “As representatives for employees with severe disabilities, we


work closely with departments across the operation to ensure colleagues are integrated in the best possible way. The fact that around 380 colleagues with severe disabilities or equal status are now working with us is a fantastic number and the result of the commitment of many people,” says Anja Zweigler, Representative for Employees with Severe Disabilities at the DHL Hub Leipzig. With these projects, the DHL Hub Leipzig demonstrates


that dedication and innovation form the foundation for genuine participation – and show how diversity can become a lived part of corporate culture.


Visit to Leipzig The Leipzig Hub is the largest DHL Express hub in the world, processing up to 400,000 shipments per night and employing more than 7,000 people working around the clock. Every night, aircraft arrive from Asia, Europe and the Americas.


Containers are unloaded, scanned, x-rayed, sorted, and reloaded — sometimes within five to six minutes. Ramp control, load planning and flight networks are managed in real time. Despite its high level of automation, Leipzig remains intentionally human-led. “Could you implement robots to unload containers? Sure. But would


it be fast enough? Would it be safe enough? At the moment, I don’t think so. The weights fluctuate. The shapes vary. We haven’t seen automation beat the human factor there — yet,” Parra explained. DHL isn’t chasing full automation. It’s pursuing smart integration


— where technology improves safety and efficiency, not where it replaces essential human judgement. “You don’t want an autonomous tug running into a plane. That’s not just expensive. That’s dangerous.”


“They come in while you’re going to sleep. They leave while the


sun’s coming up. And then they need to sleep, eat, reset, look after their families,” Parra stated. To support them, DHL provides tailored shift planning, on-site


health coaches, nutrition and sleep guidance, and regular Health Weeks with expert input. It’s not a perk. It’s an operational necessity. “You want people to come back every night, feeling they can do the


job — not just today, but five years from now. Ten years,” he added. Inclusion at Leipzig also extends to gender equity. Through


initiatives like “Leipzig for Her”, DHL Express is working to increase the number of women in operational and leadership roles, especially in night operations and airside logistics — areas still often dominated by men. “Operations is still male-dominated. We know that. But it’s


changing,” Parra continued. Through mentorship schemes, internal advocacy and visible role


models, the company is actively reshaping not only who works at the hub — but who leads it. Similar strategies are being implemented across Europe, Asia and Latin America, where DHL Express continues to rank among the most inclusive workplaces.


Automation only where it serves people With continued investment in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), fleet modernisation, solar infrastructure and energy-efficient buildings, the European Express infrastructure designed not just for growth, but for longevity. Planned expansions across Europe include: A new aviation hangar;


a potential day-sort operation to expand daily usage to 20 hours; and selective automation upgrades where they serve people, not replace them. But one thing remains clear: “Will we see a fully autonomous hub?


Not in my lifetime,” Parra said. At DHL, the future isn’t defined by machines alone. It’s defined by


systems that work with people, not against them. And in Leipzig, that future is already under way. For Parra, the reason to stay in the logistics industry after 40


years isn’t just the scale or the strategy — it’s the people. “What inspires me most is seeing our people grow. I love watching


someone go from operations to supervisor, to manager, to director — seeing the impact that has on their life, their family, their future,” he said. From frontline workers to future leaders, Parra is motivated by


what DHL enables at a personal level: upward mobility, stability, dignity. It’s a rare kind of leadership — one that still sees people as the purpose, not just the resource. When asked what advice he’d give to someone considering joining


DHL, his answer is simple: “If you want a company that values its people, that gives back to its communities, and that truly operates as a global family - then come join us.”


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