Kuehne+Nagel partners with Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport

Kuehne+Nagel and the Birmingham Airport Authority (BAA) in the U.S. have initiated a new partnership that will increase commercial prospects for both the firm and the area. This is the first time the BAA has collaborated with a logistics business, and Kuehne+Nagel has established a presence at a secondary airport in North America.

This collaboration enables both organizations to better address the cargo needs of businesses in the region and positions Birmingham as an essential element of the cargo market in the United States' Southeastern corridor.

Global logistics company will begin operations at the Alabama (U.S.) airport on April 2 and Kuehne+Nagel will operate weekly international cargo flights into Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM).

This new partnership represents a new era of business development at the airport and positions the Birmingham Airport Authority to build on its role as an important center for business growth in the region and in the state of Alabama.

“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.”

Last year, the Birmingham Airport Authority completed design work on a new $25 million Air Cargo facility. In May, BHM will break ground on the new facility. Initially, Kuehne+Nagel will operate from Kaiser Aircraft Industries’ hangar on the airfield, then move into the new Air Cargo facility at BHM 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 Kuehne+Nagel. “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 BHM, 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.”

This partnership was attractive to Kuehne+Nagel because of the ability to better meet the precise needs of its customers in the automotive, aviation, and pharmaceutical industries through features such as additional cargo capacity, temperature-controlled cargo space, and more. Kuehne+Nagel will subcontract warehouse management to AGI, Alliance Ground International, which is a ground handling company that currently operates at more than a dozen airports in the nation.

Kuehne+Nagel will begin operations at BHM on April 2, with an inaugural flight that will arrive from Stuttgart, Germany, marking the first cargo flight from Stuttgart, Germany to the eastern U.S.