SAVANNAH, Ga. — A freight hub spanning 36 acres is now open at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, wrapping up a project that took about five years from the first discussions to construction. It is meant to give shippers more room as cargo demand grows across the Savannah region.
Savannah Airport Commission Executive Director Greg Kelly said the old cargo buildings off Dean Forest Road were too small for what the region needs. Operators in the new building can reach the apron and runway directly. FedEx and UPS, which operate their own facilities at the airport, are already close to doubling the capacity they had, Kelly said, and planes from both carriers were parked at the ribbon-cutting.
The project also extends Taxiway G and adds a bridge across Gulfstream Road. The bridge lets aircraft move in and out of the cargo area at the same time instead of waiting on each other. Kelly said the complex has space for growth, both inside the existing building and on a site set aside for a second building and more aircraft parking.
The added capacity is expected to handle online-shopping packages, medical supplies and parts for aircraft repairs. Kelly also pointed to growth at the port and to employers such as Hyundai and Gulfstream as sources of future demand. Gulfstream’s Savannah campus builds some of the world’s most advanced business jets and anchors a high-wage aerospace workforce in the area, which makes the airport’s cargo capacity part of the local manufacturing supply chain.
Kelly described the opening as a big day for the airport and the region, saying the facilities should support air cargo needs for decades to come.
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