Atlas Air, Sharp add third cargo terminal at Incheon, develop MRO facility
With the addition of Cargo Terminal 3, AACT, established by Atlas and Sharp in 2007, now operates three cargo terminals at Incheon, providing nearly 49,000 square meters of dedicated cargo infrastructure and annual handling capacity exceeding 460,000 tons.
Atlas Air Worldwide and Sharp Aviation K are advancing their nearly 20-year partnership at Incheon International Airport (ICN) with two significant developments: the opening of a third cargo terminal through their joint venture, Atlas Air Cargo Terminals (AACT), and the development of a dedicated four-bay widebody maintenance facility through Atlas Air Technical Services (AATS). Together, these investments expand Atlas’ cargo handling and aircraft maintenance capabilities, reinforcing Incheon’s role as a strategic hub for Atlas and its customers across the Asia-Pacific region.
The latest milestone is the opening of Cargo Terminal 3, which adds 19,320 square meters (208,000 square feet) of cargo space and 180,000 tons of annual handling capacity. Slated to be operational on November 2, the facility also expands Atlas’ capabilities in specialised cargo markets, including pharmaceuticals, with a dedicated 2,900-square-meter cool-chain complex and enhanced cargo handling capabilities designed to meet evolving customer needs.
With the addition of Cargo Terminal 3, AACT, established by Atlas and Sharp in 2007, now operates three cargo terminals at Incheon, providing nearly 49,000 square meters of dedicated cargo infrastructure and annual handling capacity exceeding 460,000 tons.
Building on this expansion, Atlas and Sharp are also advancing the development of Atlas Air Technical Services (AATS), a dedicated four-bay widebody maintenance facility at Incheon. Expected to become operational in 2027, the facility will build on existing maintenance support capabilities and provide dedicated commercial freighter maintenance services for Atlas and its customers, further strengthening the Company’s operational capabilities throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
According to Michael Steen, Chief Executive Officer, the partnership continues to play a key role in Atlas’ global growth strategy.
“Asia remains one of the most important regions for global trade, and our longstanding partnership with Sharp has enabled us to deliver high-quality ground handling services to our customers in Korea,” said Steen. “Through AACT, we’ve built a world-class cargo handling platform that continues to grow with the needs of our customers. Now, with the development of AATS, we’re taking an important step in our strategy to insource approximately one-third of our heavy maintenance volume, giving us greater control over maintenance quality and turnaround times. Together, these investments reflect our long-term commitment to the region and our focus on building the infrastructure and capabilities needed to support our customers’ growth.”
For Klaus Goersch, Chief Operating Officer, these developments reflect the dedication and collaboration of the teams responsible for bringing the projects forward.
“These milestones are a testament to the expertise, commitment and hard work of our teams at Atlas and Sharp,” said Goersch. “Delivering an operation of this scale and complexity takes tremendous coordination across multiple functions, and I want to recognise everyone who has contributed to making it possible. I’m incredibly appreciative of what our teams have accomplished together and the strong foundation they’re building for our continued success at Incheon.”
The expansion of AACT marks another significant step forward for Atlas’ ground operations capabilities in Asia.
“We are proud of what our Ground Operations team and our partners at Sharp have built at Incheon,” said Bobby Wood, Vice President of Ground Operations. “From a single cargo terminal to a sophisticated, three-terminal operation, we’ve significantly expanded our capacity and the specialized handling capabilities we can offer customers. This is a tremendous example of our team’s operational expertise and commitment to delivering the efficiency, flexibility and reliability our customers expect from Atlas.”
The development of AATS represents a complementary investment in Atlas’ technical operations infrastructure, creating opportunities to strengthen maintenance support and improve operational reliability across the region.
“Expanding our technical operations capabilities at Incheon is an important step in how we support our fleet and our customers,” said Rich Steer, Senior Vice President, Technical Operations. “I’m proud of the expertise our Technical Operations team brings to this effort and the capabilities we’re building through AATS. Having dedicated widebody maintenance capacity at this critical location will give us greater flexibility in how we plan and perform maintenance, helping improve aircraft availability, strengthen operational reliability and keep our customers’ operations moving.”