Through the first six months of 2014, air cargo volume at Chicago’s O'Hare International Airport grew 8.5 per cent compared to the same time period in 2013. In June 2014 alone, O'Hare's cargo tonnage increased by 11 per cent over the same month in 2013. With over 738,500 tonnes of cargo handled for the first half of 2014, O'Hare is on track to reach approximately 1.5 million tonnes for the year.
"Air cargo creates billions of dollars in economic activity and supports thousands of jobs in the Chicago region," said Rosemarie S Andolino, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA). "This significant increase in cargo volume at our global gateway is a positive sign of recovery and growth following the global economic recession over the last few years that impacted cargo traffic at airports around the globe.
Nearly 30 freighter carriers currently serve O'Hare, including many of the largest cargo carriers from China, Europe and the Middle East. In fact, Chicago is the leading national gateway for air exports to China, representing more than 25 per cent of the entire market.
In addition, many of the passenger carriers that serve O'Hare carry cargo in the belly of their aircraft. With about $115 billion worth of freight handled annually, O'Hare ranks second among all US airports for the monetary value of its air cargo.
“With the added capacity created from the O'Hare Modernization Program and the development of new cargo facilities at the airport, Chicago O'Hare is well positioned to be one of the world's leading hubs for air cargo," added Andolino.
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