Record-setting 2.7 billion pounds of freight traveled through RFD
| Rockford Register Star
ROCKFORD — Cargo business at the Chicago Rockford International Airport rose by 15% in 2020 compared to the previous year, airport officials announced Friday.
A record-setting 2.73 billion pounds of freight traveled through RFD last year compared to 2.38 billion pounds in 2019.
The spike in cargo business was primarily due to e-commerce purchases.
Cargo growth at RFD has spiked since the 2019 holiday season and online purchases continued to rise throughout last year due, in part, to the pandemic.
More: Rockford airport experiences another spike in cargo
The increase was also attributed to cargo flights carrying essential supplies including personal protective equipment for the region.
“We’re proud to be a catalyst for access and ease of transporting goods in our region,” RFD Executive Director Mike Dunn said in a news release. “The ongoing infrastructure improvements and new development on our property will help us to continue to realize job growth and business opportunities as well.”
RFD is home to the second largest UPS hub in North America. The local airport also serves other leaders in the cargo industry including ABX Air, ATI, Senator International, DB Schenker, National Airlines and Atlas Air.
More: Rockford airport remains vital to region’s economic health
Passenger traffic at RFD declined 32% in 2020, due to a reduced number of flights during the pandemic. Passenger flights showed signs of a rebound in the fourth quarter of 2020, although they were still 18% below figures from the same quarter in 2019.
The nation’s passenger airline industry as a whole is still down 50-60%, RFD officials said.
Ken DeCoster: [email protected]; @DeCosterKen
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