MEM could reclaim cargo airport crown

Led by rising FedEx freight volumes, Memphis International Airport could reclaim from Hong Kong the title of world’s business cargo airport from Hong Kong.

Cargo volume grew 7.6 percent year over year in October at the Memphis airport, paced by a 16-percent increase in international freight.

With 10 months in the books, the airport’s total cargo handled was 7.5 billion pounds, up 3.22 percent year to date over 2012.

FedEx Express’ Memphis world hub accounts for more than 99 percent of the airport’s cargo volume.

Memphis was t he world’s busiest cargo airport for 18 years running until Hong Kong International Airport led in 2010. Last year Memphis missed reclaiming the lead by about 8,000 metric tons.

This year, cargo growth helped offset declining passenger numbers, chief financial officer Forrest Artz said. Landed weight of cargo and passenger planes combined declined 1.31 percent year to date through Oct. 31. Passen- ger traffic is down about 31 percent so far this year because of Delta Air Lines’ flight reductions and dehubbing of Memphis.

Artz said landed weight, the basis on which the airport collects landing fees, was higher in October than at any point in the previous fiscal year, and he believes FedEx’s postThanksgiving peak season will push it even higher.

He and Airport Authority board chairman Jack Sammons said the cargo uptick bodes well for U.S. and world economies, owing to FedEx’s status as economic bellwether and the fact that the hub connects every point in the company’s global network.

“This number being up 7.6 percent is bullish for the U. S. economy,” Sammons said.

“And international,” Artz added.

The airport’s October results followed a cargo decline of about three-quarters of 1 percent year-overyear in September, attributable to reduced domestic freight. September would have been even worse without a 14 percent increase in international freight.