03/16/2022

Mindy Kershner / CVG Airport / March 16, 2022

Cargo development at CVG has increased exponentially over the last several years as DHL and Amazon have grown their hub presence. At the end of 2021, cargo tonnage was up 18% over 2020 and eclipsed 100% growth over the last five years. While most cargo planes and activity including unloading, sorting and reloading takes place on the south end of the airport campus, there’s another side to the cargo business – general cargo activity on the north end with FedEx.

The newest entrant is Silk Way West Airlines, operated in conjunction with Crane Worldwide Logistics, who as of today will operate 80 inbound and 80 outbound flights at CVG in 2022, contributing to around 14,400 tons of cargo. Planes arriving from Asia and Europe will land once a week until the summer months, at which time activity will ramp up to two flights a week.

CVG’s strong airfield infrastructure, including four runways and apron area to park cargo planes, as well as its proximity to warehouse distribution facilities, made it appealing for the companies to do business. The airport staff worked closely to make connections to secure ground handling arrangements including personnel and equipment. Trego-Dugan Aviation will be providing ground handling support for Silk Way West at CVG.

“This has been a great collaboration, and we’ve been happy to assist with coordination, including connecting these companies to local partners,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG Airport. “As we build out this service for additional cargo carriers, we look forward to what’s to come.”