Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) announced that the Airport achieved a major milestone of moving one million tonnes of cargo in 2021 — the first-ever for the gateway citing boosts from ocean to air freight amid port congestion issues last year.
Before the Covid-19 hit, the airport recorded 972,000 tonnes of cargo in 2019 and 880,000 tonnes in 2020 due to the wide-ranging impact of the pandemic.
The airport, which is the home and the largest hub for American Airlines said it has worked to streamline processes and gain efficiencies to avoid the congestion seen at other major air cargo gateways.
"A key component in DFW's strategy is to invest in systems that accelerate digitization of the cargo ecosystem, including the DFW Cargo Cloud," the airport said in a statement.
It noted that the DFW Cloud is an open-architecture digital data-sharing platform that allows cargo community members to seamlessly and securely exchange data, reduce paperwork and facilitate efficient transactions and handoffs between partners.
Investments to boost e-commerce, pharma
"DFW is focused on future investments in air cargo facilities and infrastructure to meet growing demand stimulated by e-commerce, perishables, and pharmaceutical/ life sciences products," the airport said, noting that the addition of the DFW Cargo Cloud and the slot booking application to expedite drop-offs and pick-ups for truckers will facilitate continued growth for DFW Airport while minimizing congestion that results in costly delays.
Later this year the Airport will also begin construction of two new state-of-the-art air cargo buildings, with an additional eight category six aircraft parking positions, creating capacity for the fastest-growing cargo markets.
"This milestone along with strategic investments in our cargo business elevates DFW’s position as an innovative leader in air cargo and a key logistics hub in the global supply chain," said John Ackerman, executive vice president of Global Strategies.
"With the development of new airside cargo facilities and infrastructure, and with an ideal, mid-continent geographic location that allows our customers to reduce transit times and increase speed and efficiency, DFW is poised for future growth," Ackerman added.