We achieved further milestones in fiscal year 2005: you can read about the most important acquisitions, products and services, partnerships and joint ventures as well as Group initiatives at milestones in 2005.

We have further harmonized our sales structures: since 2004, DHL has been serving more than 100 major multinational customers with its Global Customer Solutions (GCS) sales organization. This approach again proved to be extraordinarily successful in the year under review: GCS was able to attract a substantial volume of new business and extend existing agreements. This also enabled the Group to achieve cross-selling potential running into hundreds of millions of euros.

Our strength is our networks. They allow us to provide air freight capacity throughout the Group and to systematically utilize our own aircraft. In 2005, we merged the EURORAPID and EUROPLUS networks, thus enabling us to increase the efficiency of our services and at the same time cut costs. The new hub for our European express network will commence operations at Leipzig/Halle Airport in 2008. We signed the master agreement for this in the year under review.