Construction of no fewer than three cargo warehouses is to begin this year, with the US$26m Cargo Building C expected to be completed first – and by the end of the year. Cargo Building 1 is anticipated to go up between 2017 and 2021, for an estimated cost of US$22m. As part of the development, a new vehicle staging area will also be constructed to alleviate cargo truck congestion.
The cargo side of the development project, just one aspect of a large scale development programme dubbed ATLNext, is expected to cost more than US$200m, with completion anticipated for 2021. The ATLNext programme as a whole encompasses a series of projects spanning the next 20 years designed to “boost capacity, renew and replace existing facilities, and enhance ATL’s aesthetic appeal,” according to reports; with the overall cost expected to exceed US$6bn, with nearly US$1bn to be spent in 2017 alone.
In explaining the reasons behind the expansion plans, the airport reportedly highlighted that cargo is a prominent source of employment and economic opportunity for “metro Atlanta,” the most populous metropolitan area in Georgia.The airport has maintained consistent cargo growth since 2015, when more than 626,000 tonnes of cargo were handled, up 4.15% over 2014. In the same year, four new all-cargo airlines launched operations at Atlanta airport, and plans are in the pipeline for additional carriers to follow suit this year.
