Cargo and logistics customers will soon have better opportunities to ship perishable items through the Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport. That’s because DFW Airport will begin installing a cold chain facility operated by AirLogistix USA, Austin, Texas. Expected to be operational this summer, the state-of-the-art transfer facility will give DFW Airport the ability to precisely control warehousing temperatures for shipments of fresh foods, among other items.
"There are tremendous growth opportunities for domestic and international cargo customers to ship perishables through DFW to 180 markets," says John Ackerman, executive vice president, global strategy and development at DFW Airport. "We are very excited to partner with AirLogistix USA on a cold chain facility at DFW Airport. Today, we handle 66% of the air cargo from Texas, and our cargo tonnage increased by more than 8% over last year and is up 18% this year. This new facility will increase our handling capabilities and open new doors for all our cargo and logistics partners to ship high-value, temperature and time-sensitive products through DFW."
DFW Airport handles more than 794,600 U.S. tons of air freight, which is shipped to destinations all over the world. Fourteen dedicated freighters serve 22 major cargo hubs throughout Asia, Europe and North America from DFW Airport.
"Dallas Fort Worth is a natural choice for us to further develop AirLogistix USA 'middle mile' on-airport perishables handling services. The DFW gateway has the advantage of being located in the central U.S., which helped drive our expansion into North Texas," says Ray Brimble, president and CEO of Lynxs Group, owner of AirLogistix USA. "We look forward to working with all airlines that serve DFW. Our facility will be available to distributors and forwarders who need to keep their perishable and temperature-sensitive goods cool during shipping, with particular emphasis on transit through the airport. We are ready to get started at DFW."
DFW Airport produces over $37 billion in economic impact for the North Texas region, and more than 50% of that is attributed to cargo.
