MIA to construct warehouse to enhance cargo capacity

Miami International Airport (MIA) is adopting a vertical approach to meeting air cargo capacity demand as it contends with limited space. The airport’s “Vertically Integrated Cargo Community” project envisions a five-storey storage warehouse which is expected to more than double its current cargo capacity. Expected to break ground next year, the estimated five-year project will add approximately 4.5m (US) tons of cargo capacity to the 3m tons of existing capacity, says Jimmy Nares, section chief – marketing at Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD), which operates MIA. Being a 24/7 airport without slot restrictions helps with capacity management, but the project, which has secured planning permission, is crucial to the future growth of the airport. “We’re very close to our cargo capacity right now,” says Nares. “But we should be able to go up to approximately 7.5m tons capacity. We should be in a good position for 10-15 years after that.” The idea for the building, of which two or three floors will be dedicated to cargo, originated from the limited space the airport operates in. “We’re landlocked. We don’t have the luxury of being able to add additional land to build more warehouse space. So we decided to go vertical,” says Nares. Aviation facility development organisation Airis USA LLC is leading the project. The company will be building the structure in phases. The first stage will focus on the first two floors, which will include about 2m sq ft of cargo storage, says Nares.