The Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport has a new $22-million, 46,000 sq. ft. cargo facility that will add to the import/export capabilities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport Cargo Facility
The airport’s cargo building includes 20,000 sq. ft. of chiller, 20,000 sq. ft. of cargo sorting and distribution space and 6,000 sq. ft. of office space. The facility’s ramp allows for speedy and efficient airside access and can facilitate two MD11s or DC10s or one B747. Additional acreage is available for future expansion of the cargo areas.
The facility will be operated by Gulf Coast International Cargo (GCIC), with a strong focus on increasing exports to South America. About 15 employees will staff the facility in the beginning, but hopes are to hire up to 60 workers as exports grow.
GCIC will lease several planes, which will fly back and forth between Gulfport and South America. GCIC executives have been working on a deal to import perishable produce, and the company already has an agreement to import flowers from Ecuador. They have also been in talks with the Consumer Electronics Agency to export electronics.
The cargo facility is one component of the airport’s recent renovation and expansion. Other airport improvements have included the addition of two new gates, expansion of the lobby and ticket area, improved roads to and from the terminal, larger baggage claim and security areas, and space for two new airlines.
In addition to the airport, Gulfport is home to the Mississippi State Port of Gulfport, a deepwater port strategically located on the Gulf of Mexico. The Port of Gulfport is just five miles north of the Gulf Intracoastal waterways and just several miles south of the airport.
For more information on the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport and its new cargo facility, visit www.flygpt.com.
