Global Event Observer

The Observer informs you about current international events that might affect your international letter or packet shipments.

Coming Weeks

India	1-Nov-28-Mar	Main runway to close for repairs: On October 7, media sources indicate that the main runway at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai will be closed from November 1 until March 28, 2020. The runway will be closed from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm local time every day except for Sundays. Expect flight disruptions during this period due to limited flight capacity.
Indonesia	1-13-Jan	Postal services resume after flooding: On January 14, Pos Indonesia indicated that collection and delivery operations in the Special Capital Region of Jakarta and West Java Province have resumed as of January 13 following heavy rain and flooding in the region. Operations include those for inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items.
Indonesia	1-Jan	Flooding affects postal services: Pos Indonesia indicated on January 3 that heavy rain in the Special Capital Region of Jakarta and West Java Province on January 1 led to floods which rendered all major roads in those areas inaccessible. Delays are therefore to be expected in the processing and delivery of letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items. As of January 2, the following postcode areas have been affected: Central Jakarta: 10xxx; West Jakarta: 11xxx; South Jakarta: 12xxx; East Jakarta: 13xxx; North Jakarta: 14xxx; Tangerang: 15xxx; Bogor: 160xx; Depok: 164xx; Bekasi: 170xx and West Bandung: 405xx.
Australia	2-Jan	Bushfires affect more areas: Australia Post indicates on January 9 that severe bushfires across Australia are affecting the collection and delivery of all mail, in particular in areas with the postal codes: 4570; 4650; 4674; 4670; 4676; 5232-5253; 5115-5117; 5271-5275; 2250-2263; 2323-2430; 2440; 2443; 2446; 2469; 2471; 2775; 2848; 3865; 3909; 3700-3741; 2500-2653; 2721-2730; 2753-2795; 2900-2914; 5220-5223; 6030; 6037; 6041; 6335-6338; 6442; 6725-6770.
Australia	2-Jan	Fire-related smog halts postal service: Media sources indicated on January 2 that fire-related smog has forced Australia Post to suspend services throughout the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) due to air quality remaining 10 times above the hazardous level as of January 2. The conditions were anticipated to persist over several days.
Australia	3-Jan	Wildfires disrupt road traffic: On January 3, sources indicate that road traffic across Victoria and New South Wales has been heavily disrupted due to the ongoing wildfires, with roads such as the Princes Highway, Monaro Highway, Kings Highway, and Snowy Mountains Highway being disrupted.
Slovakia	4-6-Jan	ICT relocation disrupts message transmission: On December 6, Slovenska posta indicated that it is planning to relocate its ICT infrastructure from January 4 to January 6, 2020. No messages (PREDES/RESDES, EMSEVT, ITMATT) will be sent or received during this period.
Libya	6-12-Jan	LN Airlines to resume flights to Amman: Sources indicated on January 10 that Libyan Airlines (LN) would resume its flight operations to Amman Airport (AMM) from January 12. Previously, operations were suspended due to unstable conditions in Libya.
Libya	6-Jan	LN airlines suspend flights to Amman: Sources indicated on January 6 that Libyan Airlines (LN) has suspended its flight operations to Amman Airport (AMM) until further note due to unstable conditions in Libya. Mail shipments with final destination Tripoli (TIP) are also expected to be disrupted.
Australia	6-9-Jan	Tropical Cyclone Blake causes disruptions: Sources indicate that Tropical Cyclone Blake is likely to intensify into a Category two cyclone on January 7 and is expected to make landfall at 10 am local time near Wallal Downs along the Eighty Mile Beach in Western Australia. Heavy rainfall and strong winds should be expected.
France	6-9-Jan	Aviation workers to strike from January 6-9: Sources indicate on January 3 that the French pilot union SPAF and the French flight attendant union SNGAF have called for a strike at Air France beginning on January 6 until January 9 as part of the ongoing protests against a planned pension reform. The unions stated that further strikes may be announced in the future.
Portugal	6-Jan	Construction work to disrupt air traffic: On November 23, media sources reported that Lisbon Airport in Portugal will experience nightly closures starting January 6, 2020, due to the construction of two new rapid-exit taxiways. The airport will reportedly be closed between 11 pm to 6 am local time until the works are completed. Some airlines will reportedly have to alter routes, or have already had to cancel service, due to the closures. Additional flight disruptions should also be expected during the construction period.
Iceland	7-Jan	Winter storm disrupts postal services: On January 7, Iceland Post indicated that due to a winter storm all international flights have been cancelled to and from Iceland from approximately 2 pm local time on January 7 until the morning of January 8. Consequently, no airmail has been received on January 7 and none will be sent to Europe on January 8. Domestic transport and distribution activities were also expected to be disrupted due to the weather conditions.
India	8-Jan	General strike disrupts parts of India: Updated media sources indicate on January 8 that tens of thousands of workers affiliated with trade unions have begun a planned general strike that is disrupting parts of India on January 8. The Federation of National Postal Organisation and the National Federation of Postal Employees have also called on postal workers to join the strike and postal disruptions should be expected throughout the duration of the strike.
India	8-Jan	Postal workers to join nationwide strike: Sources indicate on January 7 that the Federation of National Postal Organisation and the National Federation of Postal Employees have called on postal workers to join a nationwide general strike in India on January 8. Impacts on postal services should be expected.
Serbia	9-Jan	Customs face delays due to backlog: Industry sources reported on January 9 that inbound customs clearance is currently taking up to several working days due to significant backlogs from December 2019 that still need to be processed. No information on when the clearance process will normalize was available.
France	9-Jan	Air traffic controllers strike affects flights: On January 9, media sources indicate that air traffic controllers are on strike as part of the ongoing protests against a planned pension reform. Precedents indicate that strikes by the aviation workers resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of flights.
Slovakia	10-Jan	General elections impact postal operations: On January 14, Slovenska Post issued a notice to postal operators to take special care of processing electoral mail sent to Slovakian citizens abroad, as part of the country’s parliamentary elections taking place on February 29. The items will be sent between January 10 and 25 and a peak in inbound volume is expected for the middle of February.
Philippines	12-Jan	Volcano eruption affects hundreds of flights: Sources indicate on January 13 that hundreds of flights to and from Nino Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila, Philippines have been suspended due to the eruption of the Taal Volcano on January 12. Operations are gradually resuming, but delays persist.
Philippines	13-Jan	Truck drivers go on strike: On January 15, media sources reported that the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP) began an indefinite nationwide cargo transportation strike against several local government bans and other grievances on January 13. Disruptions should be expected across the Philippines throughout the duration of the strike.
France	13-17-Jan	Strike disrupts air traffic across France: Media sources report on January 14 that air traffic controllers have continued to stage nationwide strikes against pension reforms starting from 6 pm local time on January 13, with the strikes scheduled to last until 5:30 am on January 17. Air France announced disruptions to short and medium-haul flights on January 14, 15 and 16, while Alitalia cancelled around 140 flights as a result of the strike so far.
Guadeloupe	14-Jan	Postal unions start indefinite strike: Sources indicated on January 16 that postal service unions in Guadeloupe have started an indefinite strike on the morning of January 14. The trade unions CFTC Poste, FOCOM, CGTG PTT and SUD PTT GWA called for the strike after a general assembly held on December 14 to demand better working conditions.
Italy	14-Jan	Aviation workers plan to strike on January 14: Media sources report that employees with several airlines, including Alitalia, Bulgarian Air, Tajaran Jet, Bluair, EasyJet Ernst Airlines, AlbaStar and Volotea plan to stage strikes of varying lengths throughout January 14. Reports suggested that airport ground staff are also planning a 24-hour industrial action in several major airports, though details on which ones will be affected remain unclear.
Belgium	15-Jan	Bpost drivers suspend strike in Limburg: Sources indicate on January 16 that approximately 30 Bpost postal service drivers have suspended a strike on January 15 in Limburg while they await a management proposal on the evening of January 16. Postal disruptions were still reported on January 15 due to the strike but are not expected on January 16.
Great Britain	20-Jan	Workers with Royal Mail threaten to strike: Media sources report that unionized workers with Royal Mail threaten to stage a postal strike across the United Kingdom after talks with management broke down over changes to working conditions. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) will reportedly begin preparations for another national ballot for industrial action. No potential strike date has been announced yet.
India	20-26-Jan	Temporary airspace closure to affect flights: On January 20, media sources report that flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India, are expected to be impacted between January 20 - 26 due to temporary city’s airspace closure. Landings and take offs scheduled between 10:35 am and 12:15 pm local time will be particularly affected.
Brazil	30-Jan	Fentect meets to plan strikes for January 30: On January 15, the Federacao Nacional dos Trabalhadores em Empresas de Correios (Fentect) union has announced meetings from January 15-16 to plan the previously announced strikes for January 30. No further details about the extent of the strike were disclosed yet.
Brazil	30-Jan	Fentect threatens to strike on January 30: Local media sources indicated on January 13 that the Federacao Nacional dos Trabalhadores em Empresas de Correios (Fentect) union is threatening to strike at postal company Correios on January 30. It remains unknown how many postal employees plan to participate in the strike.

Service Disruption is provided by DHL as a courtesy to its customers. DHL is not responsible and assumes no liability for any inaccuracies, which may be contained within.
This information and its composition is based on selected high quality sources. The professional research, analysis and consolidation process is carried out by Resilience360, a cloud-based supply chain risk management solution.

Past Events

Great Britain	Nov-Dec	Royal Mail workers may go on strike: On October 16, media sources indicated that Royal Mail staff has voted in favour of a strike likely to occur at the end of November or December. The workers plan to strike over the violation of a past agreement regarding working conditions. The exact dates for the strike have not yet been announced.
Finland	11-Nov- 22-Dec	Postal workers extend strike action: On November 25, the Finnish Post and Logistics Union PAU extended the strike until December 22 after failed negotiations. The union expanded the scope of the ongoing strike to include clerical and sales duties at Posti service points across the country.
France	5-11-Dec	Air France cancels more flights: Media sources indicate on December 10 that Air France has cancelled 25 percent of its domestic flights and 10 percent of its medium-haul flights as air traffic controllers will continue a nationwide strike against a pensions reform from December 9-11. Amongst the most affected airports are Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly, Beauvais, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse and Bordeaux airports.
France	5-17-Dec	Transport strike to disrupt road traffic: Media sources indicate on December 16 that transport unions in the road transport and logistics industry have called for a strike action beginning at 6 am local time. Demonstrations and road blockades causing traffic disruption throughout France should be expected.
France	5-18-Dec	Air traffic controllers to strike from Dec 16-18: On December 16, media sources report that air traffic controllers plan another strike over pension reforms starting from 7 pm local time on December 16 until 6 am local time on December 18. The following airports are likely to be affected: Paris Beauvais, Charles de Gaulle, Orly, Bordeaux-Merignac, Lyon-Saint Exupery, Marseille Provence and Toulouse-Blagnac airports.
Italy	10-11-Dec	Poste Italiane resolves equipment issues: Poste Italiane reported on December 11 that it has now resolved the technical issues with its sorting equipment, which had led to delays in the processing of all inbound tracked and registered items from outside the European Union since December 10. Normal processing of these items has resumed, but it may take a few days to clear the backlog.
Iceland	10-Dec	Snow storm causes delays across Iceland: On December 11, Iceland Post indicated that a snow storm hit Iceland on December 10, causing significant delays to international and domestic transport and distribution activities, particularly in the northern and eastern parts of the country. Transport from Reykjavik to rural areas was completely suspended on December 10 and continues to be restricted. In addition, all flights were cancelled between 12 pm local time on December 10 and the morning of December 11.
Australia	10-11-Dec	Postal services resume: On December 11, Australia Post indicates that postal operations at the Sydney Gateway facility have normalized after air quality in the area improved. Previously, the processing and delivery of all mail products in New South Wales were affected by ongoing bush fires since December 10, particularly in the postal code areas from 2000 to 2999.
Italy	10-Dec	Equipment issues delay postal operations: On December 10, Poste Italiane indicated that it has been experiencing problems with its sorting equipment which has led to the temporary disruption of the processing and delivery of inbound tracked and registered items from outside the European Union. Disruptions are expected to persist for a few days.
Australia	10-11-Dec	Bush fires affect postal services: On December 10, Australia Post indicates that the ongoing bush fires and hazardous air quality in Sydney are affecting the processing and delivery of all mail products at the Sydney Office of Exchange, with postal code areas from 2000 to 2999 being affected. Sydney Gateway facility and the Australian Border Forces have stopped processing mail on December 10 but services are expected to improve by December 11.
Brazil	12-Dec	Police launch operation against Correios thefts: Local media sources indicated on December 12 that Rio de Janeiro Civil Police, in conjunction with Federal Police, launched Operation Serra Alta against a postal cargo theft ring operational in the Zona Oeste of Rio de Janeiro. The ring is believed to be responsible for 20 thefts in the region.
North Macedonia	16-Dec	Fog disrupts airmail movement: Sources indicated on December 16 that airmail shipments to and from Skopje International Airport were delayed on December 16 due to heavy fog in the area. Shipments are expected to be delayed by 24 to 48 hours in total.
United States	16-Dec	Heavy snowfall impacts ground transport: On December 16, media sources reported that the National Weather Service expected heavy snowfall and strong winds to affect ground transportation in several states across the United States, including portions of central and east-central Missouri, south-central and southwest Illinois, south-central and southeast Kansas and south-central Indiana on December 16. Further disruptions due to slippery and snow-covered roads should be expected in the coming days as well.
Brazil	16-Dec	Labor leaders threaten truckers strike: On December 9, media sources reported that several labor leaders, including those of the autonomous truckers' unions and the Rio de Janeiro regional subdivision of the Central Unica dos Trabalhadores (CUT) trade union center are threatening a nationwide truckers' strike on December 16 at 6 am local time to express their dissatisfaction with the state of promises made by the Bolsonaro administration.
France	17-Dec	Protesters block postal sorting center: Media sources report that protesters blocked the postal sorting center of Mondeville in the early morning of December 16. The blockade has resulted in disruption for ten trucks filled with mails and parcels. Minor delays were to be expected.
France	19-20-Dec	Delays possible following blockade: Sources indicate that the French postal service provider, La Poste, announced that it expected limited delays of up to 1 day following a blockade at the sorting center in Val-de-Reuil (Eure) on December 19.
France	19-Dec	Roadblock set up at sorting center: French media sources report on December 19 that protesters have set up a roadblock at the postal sorting center in Val-de-Reuil. No timeline as to when the blockade will be lifted has been immediately provided.
Portugal	20-Dec	Postal workers threaten to strike in Ermesinde: Local media sources indicated on December 18 that the SNTCT union is threatening a strike at postal offices in Ermesinde on December 20 after filing a complaint to the Valongo Labor Court following an employee's dismissal.
Great Britain	23-24-Dec	Mail workers to strike in Bristol area: Media sources indicate that unionized workers with Royal Mail in southwestern England are set to go on a 48-hour strike on December 23 and 24 following the filing of a strike notice over a worker layoff. According to reports, workers at the Keynsham delivery office will stop working on both days, likely impacting pick-up and delivery of postal items in the area.
Canada	25-Dec	Swissport workers may strike at Montreal airports: Media sources indicate that workers with Swissport Canada have threatened a walkout strike at Montreal-Trudeau and Montreal-Mirabel airports starting December 25. The workers are currently operating without a contract. Cargo and mail operations of Air Canada may be impacted by the strike.
Italy	28-Dec	IT issues affect postal services: Poste Italiane reported on January 10 that it has been facing issues with its PREDES messages since December 28, 2019, on letter mail items addressed to Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway and Portugal.
Canada	31-Dec	Fuel workers strike at Montreal airports: On January 1, media sources indicated that Swissport Canada fuel workers have been on strike at the Trudeau and Mirabel airports in Montreal since December 31. Swissport has so far managed to maintain fueling at both airports and no flight delays have yet occurred. However, flight delays and cancellations remain possible.
Indonesia	31-Dec	Flooding causes disruption across Jakarta: Media sources indicated on January 1 that flooding has led to road closures and a major power outage in Jakarta metropolitan area. Areas affected by heavy flooding on January 2 include Jalan Bendungan Hilir Raya (Jakarta Pusat), the Cawang Toll Road, Jalan Boulevard Barat Kelapa Gading (North Jakarta), KM 4-5 Kedoya Toll (West Jakarta), and Rosover Field flyover (Tebet, South Jakarta). Expect further disruptions on roads until the weather conditions improve.

Exempted countries

Country or region

Crimea (region)

Cuba

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Iran

Sudan

Syria

Countries with service disruption

Due to local circumstances, we currently cannot provide delivery services of mail and packets to the following countries or regions

Country	Region or city
Bougainville Island (Papua New Guinea)	Arawa Buin Kieta Panguna
Georgia	Abkhazia
South Sudan	Jonglei Unity Equatoria
Chad	Tibesti
Ukraine	Region Donetsk, Luhansk Oblasts and Crimea Zip Code 83000-87000 & 91000-99000
Yemen