DHL To Adjust Air Operations In Riverside, CA

Airline Partner and Community Leaders Collaborate on Solution to Lessen Noise Impact

DHL, the world’s leading express delivery and logistics company, today announced plans to lessen noise impacts on the local community by changing out certain aircraft used during its nighttime operations at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif. Working with its contract airlift provider and leaders from the March ARB Joint Powers Commission, DHL will replace one DC-9 aircraft currently in operation with a quieter aircraft in September of this year. The company also continues to work with its airlift providers to potentially remove a second DC-9 from its operation in Riverside, as soon as September.

“We are aware of concerns in the surrounding area about nighttime noise from aircraft, and have been working closely with the Joint Powers Commission for the last several months to find potential solutions to these concerns,” said Red Alexander, Vice President for Aviation & Commercial Transportation, DHL Express. “While switching aircraft presents considerable operational and financial challenges for DHL, we want to demonstrate to the community that we are good neighbors.”

Alexander noted that the nature of a global cargo operation requires aircraft to move packages over night to ensure the movement of goods to trucks that make deliveries on the ground during the day.

“We can’t change the fact that overnight delivery service providers must fly at night, but we hope to lessen the impact by working with our airlift provider to use the quietest planes practicable,” Alexander said.

As a key player in the process to address community concerns, JPC Chairman Marion Ashley commented on DHL’s planned fleet change. “Throughout the process, the JPC has made it perfectly clear that we want DHL to stay, continue to grow the facility and increase jobs,” Ashley said. “We are pleased that DHL has been actively involved with this process, has taken the concerns in the community seriously and is taking this extraordinary measure.”