Heathrow_World_Distribution_Centre
Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre
Royal Mail sorting office
Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre (HWDC) is a sorting office for inbound and outbound international mail operated by Royal Mail. Located close to Heathrow Airport, the HWDC is situated in the town of Langley, Berkshire, near Slough, and began operations in 2003.[citation needed] The centre is often referred to by its abbreviation, Langley HWDC, or as 'GBLALA' in mail tracking information.[1]
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Most mail entering and leaving the United Kingdom is sorted at Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre under tight aviation security standards,[2] following the closure of all other international mail handling facilities in the UK. Parcelforce Worldwide operates two hubs based at Coventry adjacent to the airport. One hub is for parcels for the United Kingdom, and the other for international parcels. Not all mail handled at HWDC arrives by air, as road vehicles that formerly arrived in the UK by ferry at Dover, or container ship at Southampton now extend their trip to HWDC by road, instead of entering the Royal Mail network at (now defunct) offices of exchange situated nearest the ports. Outbound mail will usually leave the country by aircraft from the nearby Heathrow Airport.