ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Chicago-Rockford International Airport ended 2020 by setting a new record for hauling cargo. More than 2.7 billion pounds of cargo passed through RFD last year.
Airport authorities say that’s a 15% increase from 2019, mostly due to the popularity of online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic.
In June, the airport will expand to keep up with demand by opening a new 90,000 square foot cargo warehouse which will employ roughly 600 people.
RFD’s deputy director of operations, Zack Oakley, said the airport’s growth in recent years has led to the creation of thousands of jobs.
“You should look back four or five years ago at the airport, our previous job numbers, we had about 4,000 employees on the entire campus,” Oakley said. “That’s not just inside the fence, but that’s all of our industrial properties, everything that’s part of the 3,000 acres of the airport. That number has doubled: we’re over 8,000 total employment on the airport property.”
Staff say the airport’s passenger numbers are increasing again after the pandemic drove down ticket sales for several months.
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