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Bonn (dpa) - The Corona year 2020 brought Deutsche Post DHL a record result.

According to preliminary figures, the group's earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose to 4.8 billion euros, according to company statements, and thus significantly exceeded the earnings forecast.

At the same time, the company increased its earnings forecasts for the next few years.

Swiss Post profited strongly from the increase in global e-commerce activities and increased group sales by 5 percent to 66.8 billion euros during the pandemic.

The company reported that the increase in shipment volumes in the express and national and international parcel business accelerated once again in the Christmas business.

"2020 was an extraordinary year: despite the numerous challenges we were able to achieve a record result," emphasized CEO Frank Appel.

The Post's business model has proven to be resilient even in turbulent times.

Now the group is concentrating on the transport of the Covid-19 vaccine around the world.

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Thanks to the ongoing good business situation, the group is going into the following years more confidently.

For the next two years he expects an even higher operating profit.

In Germany, Post sales in the Post & Parcel division rose by 7 percent to 16.5 billion euros.

In the Christmas quarter, Swiss Post had to handle 23 percent more parcels than in the same period of the previous year.

The number of letters, however, continued to decline - by 7 percent.

Even faster than the Post & Parcel Germany division was the global express business, which grew by 12 percent to 19.1 billion euros.

Here, Swiss Post is apparently preparing for further growth.

Because the Post subsidiary DHL Express ordered eight more Boeing 777F cargo planes on Tuesday.

The investment is a further step in the expansion of the intercontinental air freight network of the logistics group, emphasized the group.

The company wants to meet the fast growing customer demand on the international express mail order markets.

The first machines are to be delivered as early as 2022.

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"Although the current health crisis has brought many areas of life to a standstill, there is no break in world trade," emphasized DHL Express boss John Pearson.

Thanks to ongoing digitization, the company's global e-commerce volume grew by more than 40 percent in the fourth quarter.

DHL Express operates over 600 flights to 220 countries and territories every day with a fleet of more than 260 aircraft and 17 partner airlines.

DHL Express had already ordered 14 machines of the same type in 2018, ten of which are already in service.

The Boeing 777F has a range of 9200 kilometers and can transport a maximum cargo volume of 102,000 kilograms.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210112-99-999577 / 2