Boeing's final assembly plant become freight boon for Charleston airport

THE new Boeing final assembly plant, North Charleston, South Carolina, has sent Charleston International Airport's freight business soaring.

In June, the Charleston airport handled nearly 2.5 million pounds of freight or 8.4 per cent more than the same month last year. Two-thirds of the cargo during the month was shipped to the airport. For the first six months of 2012, the freight at Charleston climbed 44 per cent to 15.7 million pounds against 10.9 million pounds in the same period last year.

The Boeing plant, which employs 6,000, has vaulted Charleston to the top of class in terms of cargo growth according to a survey of south eastern airports, reported the Charleston Business Journal.

"Part of every single 787 [Dreamliner] that's made - whether it's at the final assembly here or out in Everett (Washington) - a portion of every single plane is produced in Charleston," said Sean Tracey, director of special operations at Charleston International.

Everett is where Boeing's other final assembly facility builds 787s. The North Charleston plant is a major link in the company's global supply chain for the composite, lightweight aircraft. While Boeing handles the shipment of most pieces of the planes, the amount of cargo is posted on the airport's books, Mr Tracey said.

Meanwhile, air cargo rival, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia is taking a different tack, said the report.

"We are looking to expand in South American regions," said Warren Jones, the Atlanta airport's development manager. "Of course, traditionally, Miami is the gateway to South America. But we feel that can offer more services to our freight forwarders."

Mr Jones thinks Atlanta, which is in the midst of a US$6 billion-plus capital improvement programme, has plenty to offer carriers who might be willing to bypass Miami International. "We have enough cargo capacity in our warehouses to grow," Mr Jones told Air Cargo World. "The runways have capacity, and we have no restrictions, no curfews."

In June, freight at Atlanta dropped 3.2 per cent to 120.7 million pounds compared with the same month in 2011. For the first six months, freight fell 2.9 per cent against the same period in 2011. By contrast, Miami International reported a 16.8 per cent gain in cargo for June compared to the same month a year ago, handling 23.6 million pounds. For the first half of the year, cargo was up 20.6 per cent at 142.9 million pounds compared to the first six months of 2011.