DHL is spending $22.5 million expanding its cargo facilities at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) and equipping it with new large aircraft gates to prepare it for a bigger role in its global operations.

Developed on 23 acres of land leased from the airport authority, the new gates will connect CVG to more points in Asia, Europe and the Americas. The investment marks a continued commitment to growing DHL's operations from the Delta Air Lines.

"As businesses increasingly go global to capitalize on emerging trends in international trade, the expansion at our CVG hub will position DHL to accommodate the growing needs of our importing and exporting customers," said Ian Clough, CEO for DHL Express US.

All new aircraft gates will include a hydrant jet refueling system for a more efficient refueling operation as well as the capability to de-ice aircraft directly at the gate. Construction will continue through September 2011.

This is the second phase of a two-year, $40 million investment to enhance DHL operations at the Cincinnati hub, which includes equipment upgrades and various facility improvements.

In October 2010, DHL announced a $12.5 million project to upgrade existing hardware and software applications running its auto sort system, improving the speed and reliability of shipment scanning and sorting as volumes grow at the Cincinnati hub. The CVG hub handles about 90% of the DHL volume that enters the US.