Airglades International Airport to Open State-of-the-Art Floral Cargo, Full Service Logistic Centers
The Airglades International Airport, located 85 miles north of Miami, is announcing the development of a new, state-of-the-art perishable cargo airport and full-service logistics center, benefitting international and domestic plant and flower growers, importers, e-commerce fulfillment centers, production providers, wholesalers, retailers, carriers, allied organizations, and the general public.
Known as AIA, the new Airglades facility will boast a new 10,000-foot runway and provide services for international floral importers and domestic growers under one roof. In 2019, AIA received the FAA Record of Decision and in 2020, Airglades Airport was designated a US Customs Port of Entry Inspection Facility.
Located in Hendry County, South Florida, this new facility allows businesses in the floriculture sector more expansion and growth opportunities by providing:
A Custom-Built Cargo-Dedicated Logistics Hub & Airport
- Seamless refrigeration under one roof - from inbound receiving to outbound distribution
- Access to cargo within 4 hours, with planned on-premises USDA/AFIS and CBP operations
- Ample receiving, storage, and logistics footprint to support holiday peaks
- Perishable cargo importers and logistics providers as principal tenants
- Vast opportunity for facility and land expansion to adapt to future growth
- Scalable to fast-growing e-commerce, education, store buying shows, and multi-modal freight efficiencies.
Facility Location in Uncongested Area
- Prime location for connections between international and domestic growers, distributors, and logistics companies
- Less flight and taxi times versus other south Florida airports due to more streamlined traffic and dedicated resources for floral cargo
- US 27 and SR 80 interchange offer connectivity to the I-4 corridor, I-75, I-95, as well as both Southeast and Southwest Florida
- Short line railroad connectivity via CSX and FEC provides an economical alternative shipping option for freight
Lower and Predictable Costs
- Opportunity for reduced flight costs from/to Latin America (shorter flight time, shorter aircraft taxi and waiting times)
- Direct customer shipping from the Perishable Cargo Center (PCC)
- Reduced trucking transportation costs (less traffic, increased proximity to end customers by ~200 miles roundtrip)
- Logistics providers will be in same location as the importers
- Anticipated lower labor rates
- Anticipated lower electricity rates
- Direct product delivery from ground handler and importer negotiated discounts on airfreight
- Long-term contracts, abundant off-site low-cost land, and “no surprise”, predictable prices to tenants
- Forward-thinking development by private operators and investors
- Financial and placement benefits for early adopters
Faster and Fresher Product to Retailers and End Floral Consumers
- Streamlined operations, increased efficiency, and more convenient access
- Seamless cold chain capabilities from in-bound to out-bound
- RIFD cargo tracking
- Strategically positioned to boost connectivity and competitive advantage for companies to increase speed, services, new technologies and satisfaction to their customers
Facility Highlights
- Upgraded airport access road
- Warehouse and distribution facilities
- Integrated, onsite federal inspections & Perishable Cargo Center (PCC)
- Air traffic control tower
- Aircraft parking apron
- Runway 13-31 (Existing)
- Airport maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities (MRO)
- New 10,000 foot runway (18-36) & parallel taxiway
Industry Education and Training
- Coordination between regional economic development and educational professionals for current talent pipeline training and long-term potential workforce success.
- Hendry County Workforce Education and Adult School, providing training for the construction and operating phases of Airglades Airport expansion.
- Hendry County has also been supportive of Immokalee Technical College’s (iTech) proposed move into the Glades County Regional Training Facility in Moore Haven. The facility boasts 40,000 square feet of available training space with room for growth. The center is primed to produce a pipeline of talent able to meet the needs of not only Hendry and Glades Counties, but the Heartland Region as a whole, setting the inland counties up to enter the competitive area workforce availability
“The supply chain of Florida’s Heartland is no longer a secret, with some of the most innovative companies coming here to develop optimal logistic networks to move cargo in and out of the region, while also creating untethered growth opportunities for the future," said AIA Chief Executive Officer Malcom Wade. "This project presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for stakeholders in the floriculture industry to reshape the US supply chain for future growth.”
Visit www.airglades.com to learn more about Airglades International Airport.