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(Miami-Dade County, FL) -- The Miami-Dade Aviation Department, operator of Miami International Airport (MIA), has announced the commencement of a new direct cargo route from Seoul, Korea to MIA. Effective August 22, 2006, Korean Air will introduce twice-weekly Boeing 747-400 freighters from Seoul to Miami. The new service is being heralded as a milestone for MIA as it seeks to expand its route structure into Asia and as trade between Miami and the Far East continues to rise. MIA will also serve as a major distribution point for the Korean airline’s growing interests in Latin America.
The new cargo route between Seoul and Miami is expected to improve transport services for not only cargo originating or destined for Miami, but for in-transit cargo between Asia and Latin America. In a recent press release issued by Korean Air, it was stated that most Asian cargo heading for Miami or Latin America was transported by air to New York, Chicago or Atlanta and then trucked or carried by other airlines to final destinations. The new Seoul service, however, will greatly reduce transport time and will permit Korean Air unequalled access to and from every market in Latin America and the Caribbean through MIA’s extensive air service network in the region.
According to MIA Marketing Manager Chris Mangos, Korean Air has specifically identified several of MIA’s stronghold cargo markets for distribution and development, including Chile, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Guatemala, Colombia, Panama and Honduras.
"Korean Air has also indicated the formation of cooperative partnerships with key MIA cargo carriers such as Lan Cargo, Cielos del Peru, as well as other Central and South American airlines operating at MIA,” said Mangos. “This will create an unprecedented cargo logistics chain between Asia and Latin America that over time may serve as the preferred routing for merchandise traveling between the two global regions.
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"With our established Taiwan service by China Airlines, the new Korean Air service and another possible Asian cargo carrier due this Fall, MIA's competitive role in Asian trade is about to be redefined, and may well change present cargo flows in the southeastern United States."
During 2005, MIA’s air trade with Asia grew 18 percent in weight and was valued at over $1.3 billion. Commodities that will flow on the new Seoul-Miami route will include cell phones and communications equipment, electronic appliances, automobile spare parts, textiles, and perishable goods including agricultural and marine products.
MIA is the leading airport in the U.S. for international freight and is the world’s largest gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean. MIA handles 80 percent of all air imports and 77 percent of all air exports between the US and the Latin American/Caribbean region and is the leading airport in the Western Hemisphere in the handling of perishable products such as flowers, fish, and fruits and vegetables.
MIA’s total air trade in 2005 was valued at $27.6 billion. MIA is pursuing an ambitious air service development program aimed at developing new passenger and cargo routes from Asia, Africa and Europe, with the assistance of the globally recognized international air transport consultancy Simat, Helliesen & Eichner, Inc. (SH&E).
Korean Air is South Korea’s largest airline and has been named for two consecutive years as the world’s top commercial airline cargo operation by the International Air Transport Association. Korean currently has the world’s largest freight capacity on transpacific routes and is the largest freighter carrier on intra-Asian routes. The carrier is a leading transporter in the high-tech market and specializes in carrying perishable products. Korean Air Cargo serves 41 destinations in 25 countries worldwide.
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