FedEx Corp. recently expanded its facility at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne Country Airport, more than doubling the number of freighter aircraft that can be handled at one time and significantly increasing parcel sorting efficiency.
The integrated express logistics provider never issued a news release about the infrastructure improvements. CEO Raj Subramaniam mentioned them during a Sept. 30 event hosted by Detroit-based Ford Motor Co. about strengthening the industrial economy, saying FedEx made the investment “knowing the potential for growth in this region.”
The new cargo terminal consolidates two manual sorting facilities and one administration building, creating an operation covering more than 300,000 square feet. The two old facilities were a few miles apart: one was on airport property and other was outside the fence in a nearby logistics park, spokesman Jonathan Lyons said in response to an email query.
The facility also includes a fully automated parcel sorting system that doubles sorting capacity to 12,000 packages per hour. The ability to reroute packages in one building, instead of two, improves sort times, reliability and efficiency, he explained.
Another new feature is a temperature-controlled room for storing pharmaceuticals and other perishable goods. In fact, the terminal can handle all types of premium freight and general cargo, including automotive components, not just parcels.
Next to the building are parking spaces for seven widebody aircraft. The previous facility only had three gates, none of which could accommodate a plane as large as the Boeing 777, said Lyons.
Together, the infrastructure and technology upgrades have allowed FedEx to reduce turnaround times and improve all cargo flow, he added.
FedEx didn’t disclose the amount of its investment in Detroit.
FedEx has reduced capital expenditures in the past year in response to slower market conditions and excess transportation capacity, but continues to make targeted investments in the air network. Last month it moved into a larger facility at Istanbul International Airport in Turkey and said it will build an air hub in Saudi Arabia.
Write to Eric Kulisch at [email protected].
Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.
RELATED STORIES:
FedEx opens dedicated freight facility at UK airport
FedEx, DHL relocate to larger air package facilities on Europe’s edge
FedEx deepens presence in Saudi Arabia amid trade growth
The post FedEx expansion at Detroit airport boosts parcel, freight capacity appeared first on FreightWaves.
