By Karen Thuermer, AJOTThe international airport sector is increasingly challenged, as high fuel prices and a global credit crunch give the airline industry a one-two punch, thereby causing many airlines to cutback underperforming routes and rethink growth plans. In fact, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts the industry will face over $2 billion in losses this year. How the downturn will impact airports around the globe is yet to be determined. Will this downturn thwart future expansion plans? Probably not, since most airport authorities view the industry as highly cyclical. Will it impact recently completed projects? Most definitely, but only for the time being. Of greater concern, however, are hub networks and the health and relationship of every global air cargo carrier in regard to one another. In fact, many analysts say that global trade flows and route rationalization among airlines is creating a stronger argument in favor of a handful of select passenger and cargo hub airports, supported by a system of secondary niche airports that might feed the needs of integrated players or all cargo airlines. Large hubs can lead to congestion and airport delays, to say nothing of the resulting increased traffic on surrounding roadways. It’s a complicated and highly competitive business with airports now vying hard to attract fewer airlines and cargo operators. This year, in particular, has seen its share of airline bankruptcies and merges and acquisitions. Airports Council International (ACI) provides a snapshot of the worlds leading airports for airfreight in 2008. Here AJOT takes a look at the top 20 on this list, and highlights some of their most significant developments. NORTH AMERICA LEADERS With 3,840,491 metric tones of cargo in 2007, Memphis International Airport (MEM) remained the global leader for total tonnage, followed closely by Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) with 3,773,964 metric tons. Unlike HKG, however, which is home to multiple cargo and passenger carriers and services airlines from around the globe, MEM retains its lead primarily because FedEx. FedEx, the world’s largest express transportation company, is headquartered in Memphis and operates its primary overnight package sorting facility at MEM. Although MEM has been the busiest cargo airport in the world for 15 consecutive years, FedEx accounts for approximately 95 percent of all cargo handled there. In fact, in 2007, the integrated carrier signed a new 30-year lease with the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority to continue to lease property at MEM for its hub operations. This includes its primary sorting and handling facility, aircraft hangars, aircraft ramp areas, vehicle parking areas, flight training and fuel facilities, administrative offices and warehouse space. The total space leased by FedEx is 30.5 million square feet. No. 3 ranking Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) drums up its primary business also from cargo carriers, as well as airlines that stop at the airport to refuel during transpacific flights. Major players at ANC are Northwest, UPS, and FedEx – the last two of which operate major sorting facilities there. Impacting future volumes at ANC is a proposed extension to Runway 7R/25L, which would reduce airfield congestion and aircraft taxi delays around the passenger terminal area and runway occupancy time associated with aircraft landing on Runway 7R. Due to the uncertainty and current instability in the aviation industry, however, a decision on a master plan is being deferred. ACI’s 9th ranking Louisville International (SDF) rank third in North America since it is home to UPS’s international air-sorting hub. September 5 saw the opening of a state-of-the-art 258,390-square-foot sorting and distribution facility for UPS, known as the Louisville Centennial Hub. The facility features the latest technology to make the processing of packages more efficient as well as a modern UPS customer counter to handle all shipping