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Kuehne+Nagel (K&N) and the Birmingham Airport Authority in the US have partnered to enable K&N to begin operating weekly international cargo flights into Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama from April.
This is the first time K&N has established a presence at a secondary airport in North America.
The logistics company expects to be able to optimise efficiency by avoiding congestion that can build up at bigger airports and better meet the precise needs of its customers in the automotive, aviation, and pharmaceutical industries.
K&N will begin operations at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth on April 2, with an inaugural flight that will arrive from Stuttgart, Germany, marking the first cargo flight from Stuttgart to the eastern US.
Last year, the Birmingham Airport Authority completed design work on a new $25m air cargo facility. In May, the airport will break ground on the new facility.
Initially, K&N will operate from Kaiser Aircraft Industries’ hangar on the airfield, then move into the new air cargo facility upon completion.
Construction is anticipated to take about 10 months.
“Since 1890, Kuehne+Nagel has been shaping the world of logistics with a strong determination to connect people and goods through logistics solutions, and this partnership with Birmingham Airport Authority is helping us continue this tradition in the U.S.,” said Greg Martin, senior vice president, air logistics at K&N.
“Through this partnership, we will have our first presence in Alabama, bringing us closer to our customers in the Southeastern Corridor. By being the first logistics partner at (Birmingham-Shuttlesworth), we will be able to help our customers get their cargo to its final destination more quickly, affordably and reliably by avoiding the bottlenecks at larger airports.”
K&N will subcontract warehouse management to Alliance Ground International (AGI).
“This is a moment that will change the trajectory of this airport,” said Darlene Wilson, chair of the Birmingham Airport Authority. “The recent enhancements we’ve made to the infrastructure of the airfield, plans for a new Air Cargo facility, combined with this partnership with one of the leading logistics companies is getting us closer to realizing a long-term vision of expanding air cargo business in the region.”
