Miami breaks cargo record for second year running

Miami International Airport (MIA), one of the busiest cargo gateways in North America, handled a record 2.7 million tons of freight in 2021.

The total is even more impressive as it shattered its previous record of 2.3 million tons, set the previous year, by 17%.

International freight grew by 17% to 2.2 million tons, while domestic freight rose 15% to 500,000 tons. MIA continues to rank as the busiest airport in the US and ninth busiest in the world for international freight.

MIA’s director and CEO, Ralph Cutié, said: “Thanks to the growth and success of our diverse and extensive cargo community in 2021, MIA continued to strengthen its position among the world’s leading cargo airports.

“Congratulations to all our cargo partners for helping MIA soar to another record year and for supporting our ongoing recovery from the pandemic.”

MIA’s sustained and robust upward trend in cargo volumes spurred two major facility expansions that were completed in 2021.

In November, DHL Express completed a $78-million renovation and expansion of its MIA hub. The investment, which includes a state-of-the-art, fully automated package sorting system, nearly doubled the facility’s sorting capacity and warehouse space to 206,000 square feet.

To accommodate its growth, DHL Express also expanded its workforce by 70% in 2021 to 731 employees at the new facility.

And in December, FedEx Express completed a $72.2-million, 138,000 square-foot expansion of its hub at MIA, doubling its total facility size to more than 282,000 square feet. The enhancements include a new customs clearance area and a new 70,000 square-foot cold chain facility, the largest in the FedEx global network.

The airport notes that once again the expansion created hundreds of new jobs at the hub for the busy winter holiday shipping season.

“I am thrilled to see MIA have another record-breaking year in freight shipments and expand on its role as the cargo gateway of the Americas, further increasing the transportation of essential goods and life-saving supplies across the world,” noted Miami-Dade County Mayor, Daniella Levine Cava.

“This is yet another example of how Miami-Dade County is ready to increase its capacity exponentially and help alleviate the supply chain crisis nationwide.”