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By John Nolan, Staff Writer Updated 9:25 AM Friday, July 17, 2009

ABX Air Inc., a Wilmington-based company, which said last week that it would lay off 54 employees, said it will lay off an additional 1,000 workers between next week and Aug. 28 at the U.S. freight hub that it operates for express shipper DHL.

The layoffs include freight sorters and handlers, administrative support and staff who provide services at the DHL-owned Wilmington Air Park airport where the DHL hub is located, ABX Air spokeswoman Beth Huber said Thursday, July 16.

The layoffs are the latest in a series that began last year when DHL announced plans to slash its U.S. overnight delivery network to try and reduce the $1 billion-a-year losses in its U.S. operations. This year, DHL decided to move what is left of the freight operations at Wilmington back to the former location at Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport, dooming most of the remaining jobs at Wilmington.

Some of ABX Air’s employees will remain to take care of Wilmington Air Park under ABX’s airport services contract with DHL that is to expire Aug. 15, Huber said. ABX is trying to negotiate a new version of that contract with DHL, the airport’s owner, Huber said.

The layoffs will leave about 1,300 ABX employees at Wilmington. The airline still has flight crews, schedulers and administrative staff because it will continue flying cargo for DHL from the Cincinnati airport, as well as handle other contract work for the U.S. Postal Service and charter service customers, Huber said.

The DHL hub had about 8,000 employees and was the Wilmington area’s largest employer before the work force reductions began.

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Even with all of that said it still does not excuse the fact that they had a poor management team that executed a poor business plan. You have to listen to what the customer wants and not dictate to them what services they will get. That is why they were losing customers left and right. How did airborne get to be so large? They listened! This German ran company owned by Deutche Post did not! And now they only handle international freight. And soon to be out of Kentucky instead of Wilmington.

EX-Abxer
1:57 PM, 7/17/2009

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Yes the base did turn yellow but ABX NEVER left, get your facts straight! They still reside in all 3 hangers and do the maintenance on the property! Also if you remember there were congressional hearings about the purchase of Airborne and it was determined that there was nothing that legally could stop it! The airline portion spun off as ABX Air inc and the freight was delivered by DHL. Ohio negotiated in good faith with DHL and obviously DHL took them lightly. Carl Donaway sold us out! Greed!

EX-Abxer
1:50 PM, 7/17/2009

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Ex-Abxer Im sorry perhaps you did not notice the base turned yellow and has DHL all over it,to twist the facts a lil to make a point is an invalid point. Point is Greed rules corp america, Why did DHL even get the chance to buy out or take over an american company. Who gets the tax breaks , who does not,why are we ready to invite foreign compnays with gifts and not take care of our own, we are american companys quick to jump and leave over profits and not give a darn about the workers who gave !

Common Sense
1:19 PM, 7/17/2009

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By the way Common Sence when did ABX move? I worked there for over 21 years. They never moved. They were at that base since they were midwest express!!!

EX-Abxer
1:05 PM, 7/17/2009

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The finger still goes to and points at DHL!!!

EX-Abxer
12:56 PM, 7/17/2009

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