By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Chicago Rockford International Airport has landed more than 2.7 billion pounds of cargo through October, setting an organizational record with two months to go on the calendar.
The record cargo numbers are expected to continue to grow through the holidays as e-commerce shipments from Amazon, UPS and others pick up.
The 2.7 billion pounds of cargo landed through the first 10 months of the year compares to 2.2 billion pounds during the same time frame in 2020. In October alone, the airport saw a 24% increase in landed cargo, RFD said Thursday in a news release.
“RFD is the strongest economic driver in the region and that’s something we are all proud of,” Mike Dunn, executive director at RFD, said in a news release. “Our resources, job force, and forward-thinking approach has allowed the airport to be a place for security in the face of one of the most unprecedented times in our supply chain history. RFD is reliable, accurate and growing.”
The Rockford airport is the second-largest UPS hub in North American and a base of operations for Amazon. It also serves other large cargo contributors: ABX Air, ATI, Senator International, DB Schenker, National Airlines and Atlas Air.
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RFD ranks as the 17th largest airport in the country for air cargo, and in 2019 it was named the fastest-growing cargo airport in the world.
“The success of RFD is the region’s success,” Dunn said. “Not only is the state of Illinois and the entire country paying attention to what the airport and this city is doing, but we are now solidly known on an international level of success.”
Last fall, the airport started construction on a 90,000-square-foot facility that is now part of its new international cargo center. It also plans to construct a 100,000-square-foot building, a new ramp to accommodate six 747 aircraft and a new road to accommodate semitrailer traffic. The later portion of those plans have been met with objections from conservationists who want to protect a rare gravel prairie that would be bulldozed as part of the project.
“We are astounded by the economic progress, job growth, and overall development happening at the airport right now,” Zack Oakley, deputy director of operations and planning at RFD, said in a news release. “By thinking strategically, prioritizing innovation, and capitalizing on the region’s talents and assets, we expect that growth to be exponential for the airport and for the region overall.”
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The airport also said that it has already exceeded its 2020 passenger numbers and is approaching pre-pandemic levels of operation.
RFD flies to cities in Florida including Sarasota, Tampa, Destin, Punta Gorda, Orlando/Sandford, in addition to Las Vegas and Phoenix.
The airport is also home to a jet repair hub and an aviation maintenance program that trains future aircraft mechanics.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas.