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(Miami-Dade County, Florida) – The Miami-Dade Aviation Department, operator of Miami International Airport (MIA), has released new statistics regarding 2007 international trade at MIA that indicate continued growth in both volume and value. In addition, MIA is announcing that Cathay Pacific Airways of Hong Kong will commence freighter service from its home base to Miami in September of this year.
Based on analysis of recently released international trade data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, MIA’s air cargo business during 2007 once again ranked the airport first in the U.S. and ninth in the world in international freight. MIA also remained the only U.S. airport among the world’s top 10 in international freight.
During 2007, trade originating and clearing at MIA amounted to 972,686 tons with a value of $34.9 billion, an increase of 8.2 percent by weight and 14.1 percent by value. This activity represented only 55 percent of the airport’s total international freight of 1.78 million tons. The remaining 45 percent was shipped through MIA in-transit to third-country destinations. As the world’s busiest Latin American and Caribbean gateway, MIA handled 81 percent of all air imports and 77 percent of all air exports between the U.S. and the region. Closer to home, during the past year MIA handled more than 96 percent of the air trade between the entire state of Florida and the world.
Leading MIA’s growth in percentages was Asia, with an increase of 23 percent in tonnage and 39 percent in value over 2006. China remained first both in tonnage and value, growing 29 percent and 31 percent respectively during 2007. Japan remained second in tonnage, up 23 percent. Hong Kong rose from fourth to third, increasing tonnage by 41 percent and value by 81 percent. India was next in line with increases of 21 percent in tonnage and 42 percent in value. Rounding off the top five was South Korea, which climbed to the fifth spot from eighth by increasing tonnage 117 percent while climbing in value from seventh to third with a growth rate surpassing 185 percent.
MIA is the leading center in the Americas for imports of perishable products, handling over 70 percent of all U.S. perishable air imports. MIA’s share of U.S. flower air imports rose to over 86 percent, while fish air imports registered at 63 percent of the U.S. market share. In fruit and vegetable air imports, MIA saw the market share soar to over 68 percent from last year’s mark of 59 percent. MIA’s leading export commodities remain high technology goods. During 2007, MIA’s “hi-tech” exports to all regions of the world averaged USD $898 million per month.
MIA will soon augment its Asian route network with service to the world’s busiest air cargo hub. Effective September 2008, world-class carrier Cathay Pacific Airways will commence thrice-weekly Boeing 747-400F freighter service from Hong Kong to Miami. Connecting Asia’s World City to Miami will create new synergies in the flow of cargo from the entirety of Latin America and the Caribbean, through Miami and Hong Kong, to points throughout mainland China and Asia, and vice-versa.
Adding Hong Kong to Miami’s cargo network further secures MIA’s future among the handful of global air cargo centers. MIA is presently connected by freighters to cargo hubs in Taipei and Seoul in Asia, and to Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Milan in Europe. In Latin America, MIA has service to virtually every capital and business center by multiple carriers offering main deck and belly cargo capacity. American Airlines, through its MIA hub operation to all of Latin America and the Caribbean, ranks in the top five among MIA’s cargo carriers, and Chilean air cargo giant LAN Cargo is based at MIA. To assist with further development of freighter service from strategic points in the world, MIA is offering incentives for new freighter services established from Europe, Asia and Africa. Inquiries may be made directly to marketing@miami-airport.com.
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