DHL, Ethiopian Airlines to start DHL-Ethiopian Airlines logistics services

DHL Global Forwarding and Ethiopian Airlines plan to grow their joint venture, with Berhanu Kassa leading the company, DHL-Ethiopian Airlines Logistics Services.

The former director of logistics services at Ethiopian Airlines has been named as general manager of the joint venture, taking over from Pramod Bagalwadi, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Sub-Saharan Africa.

Since its inception last year, DHL-Ethiopian Airlines Logistics Services has scaled up operations and offers various services.

In addition to air, ocean and road services, as well as value added services including customs brokerage, Ethiopia is one of the key competence centres for DHL’s Industrial Projects, a unit of DHL Global Forwarding managing complex logistics projects.

The team also provides International Supply Chain Solutions to link multiple suppliers from different sourcing locations to various destinations.

Bagalwadi says the Ethiopian government is aiming for 11% annual GDP growth, focusing on export-led industrialisation in sectors like energy, transport and manufacturing and expanding physical infrastructure.

He says: “In order for Ethiopian businesses to seize this opportunity and expand globally, they need fast, reliable logistics connectivity to overseas markets, backed by industry expertise and high-quality transport infrastructure.”

Kassa says: “In the past twelve months, we have invested in growing the team to full strength and have established three stations in Addis Ababa airport, and in the major manufacturing hubs of Hawassa Industrial Park and Bole Lemi Industrial Park. Our stations are strategically located for us to be close to where our customers operate, allowing us to achieve time and cost efficiency in our processes.”