As it continues an ambitious infrastructure upgrade, Miami International Airport (MIA) announced further growth in its freighter service with the addition of two weekly roundtrip flights on a triangular route between MIA, Mexico City and Mérida via AeroUnion. The service from the Mexico-based carrier, which departs every Tuesday and Friday, began on Dec. 2, making AeroUnion the fourth all-cargo carrier to begin service at MIA in 2016.
“AeroUnion joins our roster of what currently includes 43 all-cargo carriers and 109 total airlines, which is the most at any U.S. airport,” said Emilio T. González, aviation director for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, operator of MIA.
Just last month, U.S.-based carrier Northern Air Cargo began four weekly charter flights linking MIA with various destinations across the Caribbean, including San Juan, St. Martin, Santo Domingo and Port-au-Prince. November also saw the beginning of six weekly flights by U.S.-based carrier 21 Air between MIA and Bogotá, and two weekly flights on a MIA-Panama City-Guatemala City route. In April of this year, Canada-based carrier KF Cargo launched charter service between MIA and multiple points in South America.
Miami-Dade also said it is making progress on its plan to modernize its cargo operations in 2017 with the first phase of its Cargo Optimization, Redevelopment and Expansion (CORE) program, which has a goal of doubling MIA’s cargo capacity. So far this year, MIA helped reduced airport congestion with the overhaul the NW 25th Street overpass in July, allowing trucks to drive above busy local streets to access the MIA terminal. The airport also installed new surveillance cameras and lights to improve security.