A Scottish Government-owned airport and aviation hub in the United States have signed a new deal designed to boost transatlantic cargo transport opportunities.
The partnership will "focus initially on supporting the aerospace and e-commerce industries in a move that could significantly boost the Scottish economy".
Prestwick and Chicago Rockford International Airport hailed the joint development agreement to promote cargo flights between the two locations.
The partnership aims to strengthen the air cargo trade lane connecting Prestwick and Chicago, and to facilitate the sharing of information between the airports, bolstering the air cargo pull factors to each.
“We are looking forward to getting underway with this new partnership with RFD, and working with another regional cargo hub to grow this high-potential trade lane,” said Nico Le Roux, business development director, Prestwick Airport.
“Our initial focus will be on aerospace cargo, as both Prestwick and Chicago Rockford are positioned within large aerospace industry clusters.”
Several high-value aerospace manufacturers operate within the catchment areas of both Prestwick and Chicago.
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E-commerce is another major focus of this partnership; this announcement follows Prestwick's appointment as Royal Mail Group’s international e-commerce gateway to the UK, and capitalises on Chicago Rockford's position as an established US e-commerce hub.
“The Chicago-UK air cargo market flow amounts to over 26,000 tons annually and is currently underserved by direct air cargo routes to Scotland,” said Zack Oakley, executive director, at Chicago Rockford.
“Developing the air cargo connections between Prestwick and Chicago Rockford aims to rectify this, while supporting the emerging growth factors for air cargo across the perishables, automotive, pharma, and e-commerce sectors.
“The partnership also allows us to help shippers secure significant cost savings and CO2 reductions, aligning with both airports’ sustainability goals.”
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