ROCKFORD (WREX) — Despite the pandemic, the Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) set organizational records.
The airport announced it ended 2020 with the largest year-to-date landed cargo weight in the organization’s history.
In 2020, cargo numbers grew by more than 15% as 2.7 billion pounds of freight landed and traveled through the airport. In 2019, 2.3 billion pounds of cargo come through the airport.
The leading driver of the cargo growth was ecommerce purchases, according to the airport.
The airport says the cargo growth started during the 2019 holiday season and continued when the pandemic started. The airport also says cargo flights with PPE for the region played increased traffic through the airport.
RFD is home to the second largest UPS hub in North America, which continues to increase its daily cargo flights.
“We’re proud to be a catalyst for access and ease of transporting goods for our region,” said Mike Dunn, Executive Director, RFD. “The ongoing infrastructure improvements and new development on our property will help us to continue to realize enhanced job growth and business opportunities as well.”
The airport also says its starting to see the number of passengers increase.
RFD says passenger enplanements ended the year down 32%, with 4th quarter being down only 18%. Nationally, passenger airline industry as a whole is still down 50-60%, according to RFD.
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