Domestic freight saw an 8.3% increase, while growth in international cargo peaked at 3.7%, with overall growth reaching 4.8% in the first half of 2017. This figure is a significant improvement from the less than 1% overall growth recorded in 2016.
The first six months of the year saw cargo tonnages on Middle Eastern carriers surge by 114% year-on-year, while European carriers experienced 11.7% growth in freight and Asian carriers saw a 10% increase. Airlines in Latin American and the Caribbean saw more modest overall growth of 2.7%; however that of Mexican carriers alone rose 308%.
The airport has attributed the increase to the addition of several new freighter airlines – most recently AeroUnion and Qatar Airways – as well as a number of security and infrastructural improvements, alongside investments in the airport’s pharmaceuticals and perishables services.
Last year, MIA launched Florida’s first ocean-to-air perishables trans-shipment programme and, in the same year, the volume of pharmaceuticals handled at the airport surged by 48% year-on-year, in terms of value, to US$4.4bn.
To further strengthen its position as a global cargo hub, Miami airport plans to roll out its Cargo Optimisation, Redevelopment and Expansion (CORE) programme and is also applying for a Foreign Trade Zone designation, which will allow manufacturers to lease vacant property at the airport and see tariffs reduced – or eliminated altogether.
