Miami International Airport (MIA) is on course to surpass its all-time airfreight annual record of 2.3m cargo tons after handling 1.9m tons in the first ten months of 2020.
September and October were record-setting, with more than 200,000 tons of freight moving through the US cargo hub each month.
Year-to-date, MIA has also handled a record 52,504 cargo-only flights, an increase of 7,000 over last year.
As the first airport in the Western Hemisphere and only the second in the world to be designated by IATA as a pharmaceutical freight hub, MIA is prepared to be a leading air cargo hub for COVID-19 vaccines.
Said Daniella Levine Cava, Mayor of Miami-Dade County: “While our local economy has faced unprecedented challenges because of the pandemic, I am deeply encouraged to see the record-setting growth in cargo traffic at our community’s largest economic engine.
“The local air cargo industry, under the leadership of MIA and Aviation Director Lester Sola, continues to support billions of dollars in business revenue and thousands of jobs for Miami-Dade County residents.
“I’m especially proud of the work Director Sola and his team did in a moment of crisis to swiftly diversify and bring in new revenue streams, keeping many employed and business moving“
Said Lester Sola, MIA Director and CEO: “Throughout 2020, MIA has thrived in its critical role of facilitating essential trade and cargo delivery worldwide, to the point that we are on pace to set yet another annual record for total cargo.
“We are certainly thankful for the partnership we share with the airlines, federal agencies and logistics providers within our local air cargo community, who have each helped MIA have a tremendously successful year already.”
