DHL airfreight revenue jumps 17.9%

DHL Group said on August 5 that revenue in its Global Forwarding division rose 17.9% year over year in the second quarter to 5.4 billion euros, with airfreight providing the biggest lift. The Bonn-based company said divisional earnings before interest and tax rose 21.9% to 240 million euros in the quarter. Airfreight revenue increased faster than ocean and road forwarding, according to DHL’s half-year reporting materials. The figures were published alongside the group’s second-quarter and half-year 2026 results. ### How much of the gain came from airfreight? Airfreight revenue rose 30.4% year over year to 1.9 billion euros in the quarter, making it the strongest-performing business line inside Global Forwarding. Ocean freight revenue increased 8.0%, while road freight revenue rose 8.5%, according to DHL’s reporting hub and trade coverage of the results. (reporting-hub.group.dhl.com) The 30.4% revenue jump came alongside a 7% increase in airfreight volume to 473,000 tonnes. Air Cargo News said that gap between revenue growth and volume growth suggested higher rates, not volume alone, were driving the increase in takings. IndexBox, citing the same results, reported the same relationship between rates and volumes. (reporting-hub.group.dhl.com) ### What did DHL say was happening in the market? DHL Group said in its half-year report that Global Forwarding’s first-half revenue increased 6.3% to 9.975 billion euros due to volume growth and volatile freight rates. The company’s preliminary July 7 update had already said second-quarter business development showed continued growth in demand, with positive earnings momentum across the group. (aircargonews.net) The company said the prior-year quarter had been affected by tariffs and other trade-policy conditions, a comparison point DHL also used in its August 5 press release on group results. That release said group revenue rose 13% to 22.4 billion euros in the second quarter. ### Why are rates part of this story, not just shipment counts? (reporting-hub.group.dhl.com) The second-quarter figures show revenue rising much faster than tonnage in airfreight, a pattern typically associated with firmer pricing. Air Cargo News explicitly said the increase in air revenues outstripped the volume gain, indicating the improvement was driven by higher rates. (group.dhl.com) Global Trade Magazine, citing Air Cargo News, reported the same divisional numbers and said stronger airfreight operations were the main driver of the quarter’s improvement. Because DHL’s own accessible reporting summary did not spell out all airfreight sub-drivers in the snippet available, that rate-versus-volume reading should be understood as an inference drawn from the published figures and trade reporting. (aircargonews.net) ### How did the forwarding unit compare with the rest of DHL? DHL Group reported second-quarter group revenue of 22.367 billion euros and second-quarter EBIT of 1.858 billion euros, both up from a year earlier. The company said higher productivity and efficiency, together with network strength, helped convert revenue growth into stronger earnings growth. (globaltrademag.com) The Global Forwarding division remained smaller than DHL’s Express business by revenue, but its quarter showed a similar exposure to improving demand conditions. IndexBox reported that Express revenue rose 21.5% to 7.1 billion euros in the quarter, while international and domestic volumes also increased. ### What comes next in DHL’s reporting calendar? (reporting-hub.group.dhl.com) August 5 was DHL Group’s formal half-year reporting date, with the company publishing its interim management report, press release and half-year report on that day. DHL’s investor materials say the company provides regular key-figure updates and reporting-hub disclosures for the group and its divisions. (indexbox.io) The next milestone for investors will be DHL Group’s nine-month 2026 reporting cycle, which follows the half-year release published this week. Any update on whether airfreight rates, volumes and forwarding margins held into the third quarter will come from that next set of company disclosures. (group.dhl.com) (reporting-hub.group.dhl.com)