Air Cargo World named DFW International Airport best cargo airport in the world in its recent Air Cargo Excellence survey. Rating the Airport on performance, value, facilities and operations, DFW distinguished itself from other leading cargo destinations. The recognition for DFW comes as the Airport's international cargo business continues to grow in 2006.
"DFW works extremely hard every day to bring new business opportunities to North Texas and to have our cargo customers call us the 'best in the world' is quite gratifying," said Joe Lopano, executive vice president of marketing and terminal management. "Cargo helps propel the North Texas economy, bringing in new jobs with the addition of new cargo service, new products on every flight and new opportunity for local and international businesses."
The survey conducted by Air Cargo World was announced in the March 6, 2006 edition. The survey ranked DFW first with a score of 113 ahead of North America's second ranked airport, Memphis International, with an impressive 109. Fraport Frankfurt scored a 112 and ranked first in Europe, and Hong Kong International scored 109 as the best in Asia.
Air Cargo World described their rating in the article as follows: "Survey respondents evaluated each airport by rating four measures on a scale of one as the lowest and five as the highest. For each measure, the average rating across all companies in the survey was calculated and set to a value of 100."
"Cargo carriers are learning every day just how great flying to DFW can be," said Bill Frainey, assistant vice president of marketing, who heads the Airport's cargo development. "This economic engine continues to empower North Texas with the start of new service from Cathay Pacific and Air France and additional service from China Cargo and Singapore Cargo Airlines - all in the past 12 months. As the North Texas economy continues to expand, DFW is strategically at the epicenter to handle its impressive import and export demands."
DFW has seen outstanding growth over the last year, with international cargo growing at 11 percent per year and Asian cargo growth at six percent. Asian freighters will frequent DFW 35 times per week with the addition of China Cargo's two new flights, representing two-thirds of DFW's international cargo. Air France's new service to DFW marks a 20% increase in European cargo freighters weekly.
"DFW has some of the finest facilities in the industry and a booming cargo economy," said Tim Bradford, DFW Air Cargo Association President, when he learned of the announcement. "At VIP Samples, we rely on the ability to get our products from DFW to our offices in Grand Prairie and back to DFW as quickly as possible. Those products arrive from Asia and South America and are distributed throughout the Americas. We truly rely on the non-stop connectivity DFW provides to the world."
DFW continues to plan for the future and work to make North Texas the best place to conduct international business in the world. From the new International Terminal D, Skylink train and the Grand Hyatt Hotel to Trammell Crow's recent opening of a new 395,000 sq. ft. air cargo, logistics and freight forwarding center, DFW continues to lead the industry in new cargo facilities. Trammell Crow's foresight in building an air cargo facility specifically designed to accommodate both the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-400F freighter aircraft has already paid off with much of the facility already occupied.
