FedEx has officially opened its new distribution centre at Copenhagen Airport. The new centre will act as a gateway for inbound and outbound shipments for Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. This is the ninth new FedEx Express facility in the Nordic region in the last five years.
Construction of the external structure of the 8000m² facility took six months and was completed in March 2015; it will be capable of processing 11,500 packages per day, with a 360m sort belt, including a state-of-the-art cross belt loop sorter. This loop sorter uses a combination of brushless motors which power the belts and electricity-generating wheels which help capture energy. while incorporating areas for Dangerous Goods and Cold Storage.
It can sort 3,300 packages per hour, process 18 weekly FedEx Express flights, 170 truck movements per week, and a fleet of up to 36 pick-up and delivery vehicles. Approximately 120 FedEx Express employees will work at the site. The facility is located in the airport´s cargo area near the Oresund Bridge to Sweden.
David Canavan, senior vice president, Operations, FedEx Express Europe, said: “By combining courier, customs clearance, sortation and aircraft operations in a single location, we will further enhance operations in the Nordics. I am delighted that we are fully operational just over a year after we announced this investment.”
The Nordics have an average forecasted GDP growth of 2% for 2016 and are among the most advanced ecommerce retail markets in Europe. In the first quarter of the year, shoppers in the Nordics spent around £2.8bn, an increase of approximately £192m on the same period in the previous year.
This positive trend is reflected in FedEx Express shipping data for the region. Shipments between June 2014 and May 2015 from these markets to the rest of Europe increased by more than 24% compared to the previous 12 months, FedEx said. The overall number of FedEx Express shipments from the Nordic region to North America increased by about 22% between June 2014 and May 2015, compared to the same period the previous year.
“The gateway’s location at Copenhagen Airport is ideal, because of its strong freight transport infrastructure and proximity to Sweden,” Canavan added. “The facility is a key part of our growth strategy in Europe, where we have expanded with more than 100 new stations since 2011.”
Thomas Woldbye, chief executive officer, Copenhagen Airports, said: “Ideally positioned between North America and the Middle East, Copenhagen Airport has gained status as the largest cargo hub in Northern Europe. In 2015 more than 370,000 tonnes of cargo came through the airport and with the new FedEx facility we have made room for even more cargo in the coming years. This is great news for Denmark and Copenhagen Airport.”
