At 1.9 million tons of cargo through October, Miami International Airport is on pace to surpass its all-time annual record of 2.3 million tons. September and October were record-setting months, as more than 200,000 tons of freight moved through MIA each month.
Year-to-date, MIA has also served a record 52,504 cargo-only flights, which is an increase of 7,000 flights over last year. As the first airport in the Western Hemisphere and only the second in the world to be designated by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as a pharmaceutical freight hub and industry leader in the transport of pharmaceuticals and vaccines, MIA is prepared to be a leading air cargo hub for COVID-19 vaccines.
“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,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “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.”
“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,” said Lester Sola, MIA Director and CEO. “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.”
