Greenville-Spartanburg Airport looks to capitalise on freight growth with new facility

Sep 11, 2019: South Carolina gateway Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) opened its $33 million air cargo facility, as it looks to capitalise on growing demand for freight services in the southeastern United States. The airport informed that it ‘triples its cargo handling capacity’ with the new 110,000 square-foot facility. The facility’s 17-acre apron allows the […]

Greenville-Spartanburg Airport looks to capitalise on freight growth with new facility
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Sep 11, 2019: South Carolina gateway Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) opened its $33 million air cargo facility, as it looks to capitalise on growing demand for freight services in the southeastern United States.

The airport informed that it ‘triples its cargo handling capacity’ with the new 110,000 square-foot facility.

The facility’s 17-acre apron allows the airport to accommodate up to three Boeing 747-800 freighter aircraft simultaneously.

Dave Edwards, the airport’s president and CEO said: “GSP’s ability to be a hub for cargo has attracted many companies to the Upstate since the 1960s. This new facility allows GSP to take the region’s logistics infrastructure to new heights.”

Senator International, a German-based freight forwarder, will lease half of the facility to support its Senator Atlantic Bridge (SAB) flights from GSP to Frankfurt-Hahn (HHN) with twice-weekly connecting service to Johannesburg, South Africa.

“Senator International is very proud to celebrate this new milestone and together with the South Carolina business community, the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport District, all our valued clients and business partners, we will continue to grow the air cargo operation here at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport,” said Tim Kirschbaum, chairman and CEO of Senator International.

Senator’s new location is tailor-made to serve their international client base by offering overhead crane capabilities with lift capability up to 20 tonnes and a Cyro Farm which can be used to cool specialised healthcare equipment.

The new design and setup will enable Senator to optimize its processes and meet the timelines of their clients by guaranteeing faster lead times.

In 2018, the airport handled 119 million pounds of cargo, including more than 550 horses competing in the World Equestrian Games in Mill Spring, N.C.

According to the airport, it is ‘a hub for automotive parts, vehicles, and medical equipment’.

In 2017, GSP assumed all fixed-base operator services at the airport by launching Cerulean Aviation.

In 2018, Cerulean supported more than 1,400 cargo flights, an increase of 55 percent compared to the previous year. In addition, the airport last year also moved up to No 59 from No 84 two years ago on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) list that ranks air cargo volume for airports in the United States.

GSP’s 2018 economic impact study found that the airport has a $2.9 billion impact on the Upstate economy. Cargo operations at GSP contribute $478 million to the region’s economy.

Haskell, based in Jacksonville, FL, designed and the built the facility’s warehouse. WK Dickson, based in Charlotte, NC, was the engineer for the cargo ramp. McCarthy Improvement, Inc., based in Davenport, IA, was the contractor for the cargo ramp.

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