Birmingham Airport marks milestone with first cargo flight from Germany
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) and Kuehne+Nagel, a global logistics company, welcomed this week the first cargo flight from Stuttgart, Germany.
This milestone comes on the heels of an announcement that Kuehne+Nagel and the Birmingham Airport Authority (BAA) are partnering to expand air cargo business in the southeastern corridor of the U.S. This is the first time the BAA is partnering with a logistics company and the first time Kuehne+Nagel is establishing a presence at a secondary airport in North America.
According to the BAA, the partnership helps position Birmingham as an important part of the cargo market in the Southeast and enables the authority to build on its role as a driver for business growth in the state and the region.
“This is a moment that will change the trajectory of this airport,” said Darlene Wilson, BAA chair. “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.”
Starting this week, Kuehne+Nagel is conducting two weekly flights with international cargo coming from Stuttgart to Birmingham.
First air cargo flight from Stuttgart, Germany, arrives at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.
“As the number-one air freight forwarder worldwide, we are always looking for ways to contribute to the business success of our customers who trust us to manage their logistics,” said Greg Martin, senior vice president, Air Logistics at Kuehne+Nagel. “Our vision is to make Birmingham into a long-term gateway to and from the southeastern corridor of the U.S., and we’re pleased to be able to provide customers with alternative options that support their supply chain needs.”
Local elected officials along with BHM and Kuehne+Nagel representatives attended a ceremony April 2 on the airport apron to commemorate the inaugural flight. The Boeing 747-8F “Inspire” aircraft was met with water cannons and applause. As the cargo was making its way to the warehouse, attendees toured the plane.
“We are thrilled to welcome this inaugural flight from Stuttgart, Germany, and will work hard to build on this moment,” Wilson said. “This partnership with Kuehne+Nagel represents a new era of business development at the airport and a realization of our long-term vision of expanding air cargo activity and making Birmingham and Central Alabama more prominent in the Southeastern corridor.”
“The support of the Birmingham Airport Authority Board has enabled us to have the right people at the right time, all committed to doing everything that we can to be a reliable economic driver for our city and region. This was a team effort and a team win,” said Ron Mathieu, president and CEO of the Birmingham Airport Authority.
Kuehne+Nagel will leverage Birmingham Airport Authority’s new Air Cargo Facility and subcontract warehouse management to Alliance Ground International (AGI), a ground handling company that operates at more than a dozen airports nationwide. Kuehne+Nagel will use a temporary hangar at the airfield from Kaiser Aircraft Industries while the BAA is building the new air cargo facility. Last year, the BAA completed design work on the projected $25 million facility. A groundbreaking is scheduled for May.
“Through this partnership, we will have our first presence in Alabama, bringing us closer to our customers in the Southeastern corridor,” Martin said. “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 story first appeared in the The Birmingham Times.