MIA set to boost total cargo capacity in new development

Credit: MIA

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and County Commissioner Raquel Regalado, District 7, have announced that $400 million has been approved by the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners to construct a four-story cargo facility at Miami International Airport. This will be the first of its kind in the Western hemisphere and once complete will increase the total cargo capacity of the airport by at least 50%, or up to two million tonnes annually.

The facility is scheduled for completion in 2029 and will bring MIA’s capacity to a minimum of 4.5 million tonnes of cargo, if not up to 5 million tonnes, future-proofing America’s busiest international freight airport until 2041.

“This is great news for our community and our economy. MIA is our largest economic engine, generating thousands of jobs for our residents and significant income for many of our leading industries, from tourism to small businesses. MIA continues to increase its ranks among U.S. airports and worldwide regarding cargo volume. With the construction of this unprecedented, state-of-the-art air cargo facility now on track, the sky is the limit for where MIA can lead the air cargo industry globally after consecutive record-breaking years in cargo growth since 2020,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

The future Vertically Integrated Cargo Community (VICC) at MIA, a nearly 800,000-square-foot facility on 11 acres of airport land, will have a massive local economic impact as well: 8,500 new temporary jobs earning a total of $500 million in wages during five years of design and construction; 2,500 new permanent jobs earning $100 million post-construction and a minimum of $512 million in rent and business revenue to Miami-Dade County’s Aviation Department over the 40 years of the agreement. Without the VICC, MIA would begin to reach capacity at three million tons of cargo annually. The airport is on pace for 2.9 million tons of cargo in 2024.

“For the past three and a half years, we have prioritised expanding our cargo capacity at MIA and ensuring reliable supply chain access for our residents. Today’s investment is transformative for Miami-Dade County. The VICC will significantly enhance our airport’s cargo capabilities and establish a new sustainable, resilient infrastructure benchmark. I am proud to support this visionary project, which will drive economic growth and solidify Miami-Dade’s position as a global hub for commerce,” said Raquel Regalado, Miami-Dade County Commissioner for District 7.

The Board of County Commissioners approved a lease agreement with a private developer that will require at least 60% of the design and construction firms to be headquartered in Miami-Dade County, and for those firms to hire registered small businesses during all project phases.

The VICC is one of the many historic investments being made at MIA to modernise and transform every facet of our operations, including everything from maintenance upgrades and renovations in our terminal to the construction of a new parking garage, four-star hotel, and expanded concourses. In total, nearly $9 billion in capital improvements and upgrades are scheduled for completion over the next ten years, to elevate MIA’s position among the premier airports in the world,” said Ralph Cutié, MIA Director and CEO.

In addition to its enormous impact on job creation and local business revenue, the VICC will be a sustainable, environmentally friendly facility with a silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and a silver certification from Global Infrastructure Basel under SuRe standards for sustainability and resiliency.