Top 50 Cargo Airports: Lower volumes show 2022’s resilient hubs

Despite surging demand for e-commerce, 2022 was a challenging year for airports. 2021 was a peak year for air cargo due to increased demand for personal protective equipment, e-commerce, and pharma and health care shipments, but 2022 saw a decline as pandemic concerns waned and the market began to normalize. The top 50 cargo airports in 2022 saw an overall cargo tonnage reduction of 7.8% year over year. Air Cargo Next ’s rankings of the world’s top 50 cargo airports for 2022 are based on our research and the latest annual World Airport Traffic Report released by Airports Council International ’s (ACI) World Airport Traffic Database. This year’s list features some large moves up, some falls and some newcomers. Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) again took the top spot, having transported nearly 4.2 million tonnes of cargo in 2022, a 16.45% YoY decrease. HKG expanded its intermodal operations in February when Airport Authority Hong Kong signed a cooperation framework with Dongguan Municipal People’s Government to create an HKG Logistics Park in Dongguan and a new airside intermodal cargo pier at HKG. Air cargo travels from Dongguan to the airport — about 90 kilometers — via sea, saving a projected 50% in operating costs and 33% in handling time, according to the airport. Newcomers to the list are Oakland International Airport (OAK) in California and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) in the Philippines, ranking at Nos. 49 and 50, respectively. Departing the 2021 list were Turkey’s Ataturk Airport (ISL), ranked No. 36, and Flughafen Frankfurt/Hahn Airport (HHN), which ranked No. 50. View the Top 50 Cargo Airports list here. Memphis stays No. 2 [caption id="attachment_57139505" align="alignleft" width="300"] FedEx undergoes training at Memphis International Airport's new de-icing facility. (Courtesy/MEM)[/caption] Memphis International Airport (MEM) remains in the No. 2 spot on the list due to its status as FedEx ’s air hub. MEM saw cargo throughput of slightly more than 4 million tonnes in 2022, down 9.81% YoY. “MEM’s status as the top cargo airport in North America and second busiest cargo airport in the world is due to the presence of FedEx , which makes up 99% of our cargo operations,” Glen Thomas , director of strategic marketing and communications at MEM, told Air Cargo Next . “ UPS also has a sizeable presence at MEM.” The airport is attractive to express companies like FedEx and UPS, according to Thomas, due to its centralized location, extensive runway capacity and continued improvement projects, such as the new consolidated de-icing facility. The de-icing facility opened in December 2022 and is one of the largest in the world, according to the airport. The cost of the facility, which has 12 de-icing pads, was $309 million, including FAA funding of $174 million and Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority funding of $135 million. Rounding out top 5 Moving up one space from the 2021 list, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) took the No. 3 spot. ANC saw cargo throughput of more than 3.4 million tonnes, down 5.24% YoY. And moving down one space from the 2021 list, Pudong International Airport (PVG) took the No. 4 spot. PVG had a cargo throughput of more than 3.1 million tonnes, down 21.73% YoY. At No. 5 is Louisville International Airport (SDF), rising one spot from 2021. SDF had a cargo throughput of just over 3 million tonnes, an increase of 0.49% YoY. Last year’s No. 5 was Incheon International Airport (ICN) in South Korea, which swapped places with SDF for spot No. 6 in 2022. Istanbul makes big move Istanbul International Airport (IST) moved up 16 spaces to No. 23. Istanbul, which has a prime location between the Europe and Asia markets, made its list debut in 2021 at No. 39. [caption id="attachment_89722" align="alignright" width="300"] Istanbul International Airport (Courtesy/IST)[/caption] Istanbul saw cargo throughput of more than 1.4 million tonnes in 2022, up 86.38% YoY. While the airport has recently invested in its cargo operations, much of the rise can be attributed to its relationship with Ataturk Airport. Ataturk Airport, which formerly was coded IST, was Turkey’s main airport until 2013, when the Turkish government decided to build a new airport, Istanbul International. In the past few years, all passenger flights, including those with belly cargo, have moved operations to Istanbul. While Ataturk still serves freighters and general aviation services, the bulk of activity has moved to the new IST. Ataturk could accommodate 1.2 million tonnes of cargo annually, while Istanbul can accommodate 5.5 million tonnes, the airport told Air Cargo Next . Istanbul can accommodate 29 freighters and 355 passenger aircraft at one time, the airport said. “Moreover, our airport has no slot restrictions, night curfew, aviation taxes or any type of commercial burdens for cargo and passenger flight operators,” the airport told Air Cargo Next . Istanbul also attributes its growth to its decision not to lay off personnel at the start of the pandemic, which allowed an immediate return to operations as needed. “After the borders opened and flights started, all the relevant personnel reported back to their stations as soon as possible,” the airport said. “Moreover, the Turkish government decided to keep its borders open throughout the pandemic so that medical items and hygienic products could easily be transported due to the IST’s crucial location between Europe and Asia.” The airport expects to see more growth. In September, FedEx Europe signed an agreement with the airport to establish a cargo hub that will include three parking spots for FedEx aircraft, space for 32 vans, seven truck doors and sorting technology that can handle 3,000 parcels per hour, according to the airport. The facility is expected to open in November 2024. Additionally, Istanbul last month launched a cargo stakeholder platform, which allows for the digitalization of air cargo processes. Carriers, ground handlers, customs agencies, freight forwarders and others can access the platform, which streamlines all cargo-related processes in one location, thereby increasing efficiency, shortening wait times and reducing costs, according to the airport. Miami serves Latin America Other sizeable moves up the list were Miami International Airport (MIA), which rose four places to break into the top 10 at No. 8, and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), which also rose four places, to No. 17. [caption id="attachment_57139506" align="alignright" width="300"] Miami International Airport (Courtesy/MIA)[/caption] Miami saw cargo throughput of nearly 2.5 million tonnes in 2022, down just 0.83% YoY. The airport attributes its rise to several factors, including its status as a hub for cargo to and from Latin America . “MIA accounts for 83% of all U.S. air imports and 80% of all U.S. air exports within the region,” Greg Chin , communications director at Miami-Dade Aviation Department , which runs MIA, told Air Cargo Next . “According to IATA , Latin American carriers posted the strongest year-over-year performance of all world regions in 2022, with a 13.1% increase in demand. As the cargo gateway of the Americas, MIA’s jump in the world rankings in 2022 is a direct result of its sizeable trade with Latin America and the region’s robust cargo growth.” Chin noted that seven of the airport’s top 10 trade partners by weight saw volume increases in 2021 and ll seven il from Latin America, specifically Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Honduras. “MIA also has 56 passenger/cargo airlines and 39 all-cargo carriers, which is more than any other U.S. airport,” Chin said. “At MIA, freighter cargo accounts for a much larger percentage of overall cargo compared to belly cargo: 86% freighter cargo and 14% belly cargo. For many airports, this ratio is reversed.” MIA is also the United States’ largest perishables air hub airport, accounting for 67% of the country’s perishable air imports. MIA keeps this status by providing more refrigerated cooler space than any other U.S. airport, according to Chin, who said that 16% of MIA’s on-airport cargo space, about 43,000 square meters, is refrigerated. MIA is working to implement a cargo community system (CCS). “MIA has decided to support any CCS adopted by its stakeholders, as long as it’s an open-source system able to communicate with the other CCS platforms,” Chin said. “We estimate that within the next three to five years, MIA will have many CCS users, which will improve our efficiency to process more cargo as hard infrastructure comes online.” CVG grows as DHL hub CVG saw cargo throughput of nearly 1.8 million tonnes in 2022, up 16.75% YoY. The airport attributes its growth to the rising demand for e-commerce and its location. [caption id="attachment_57137445" align="alignright" width="300"] DHL Express operates out of its CVG hub. (Courtesy/DHL)[/caption] “Our location in the central part of the United States places us within 600 miles of 65% of the U.S. population, and we’re within minutes of three major highways,” CVG Chief Executive Candace McGraw told Air Cargo Next . “We have land available for development, four runways and many associated taxiways so our airfield can accommodate additional flight activity.” CVG has grown its cargo operations by more than 70% in the past five years, according to McGraw, and a lot of that is attributable to the airport’s partnership with DHL . “Approximately [80%] of all volume transported by DHL in the Americas flows through CVG every night,” McGraw said. “Recently, the company announced it will invest more than $192 million in capital improvements at its CVG hub, including the construction of a new maintenance hangar on 50 acres of property. The company has already invested $300 million at CVG.” Additionally, Amazon Air operates a hub with about 2,500 employees at CVG. Aviation maintenance provider FEAM Aero is building a second maintenance hangar to serve cargo airlines operating at CVG, complementing airport plans to develop additional cargo handling facilities and to expand the airfield and ramp access, McGraw said. Rising, falling The two airports that fell the furthest on the list — not counting Ataturk, which fell off it — are Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH). DXB moved down five spots to No. 18 and saw cargo throughput drop down 25.5% YoY to 1,727,815 tonnes in 2022. DXB did not respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, AUH also fell five spots, to No. 48, and saw cargo throughput of 587,577 tonnes in 2022, down 18.39% YoY. On the other hand, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) moved up five spots to No. 44. KUL saw cargo throughput of 678,256 tonnes in 2022, up 3.93% YoY. See the full Top 50 Cargo Airports list here.

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