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Issue 5 2020 - FBJNA


///MIDWEST


Port Milwaukee saw a 2% increase in tonnage during the first half of this year, with grains, soy, and cement all up sharply. (Credit: Port Milwaukee)


Inland Ports Prove Their Worth during COVID-19 By Peter Buxbaum


One inland port that is air


Inland ports oſten conjure images of massive intermodal rail operations


The centralized location connected to


coastal ports and population centers, playing a role in reducing seaport congestion by processing and distributing cargo in the hinterland. It’s equally valid to think about inland ports as multimodal hubs, with ready access to several transportation choices, including, in some cases, air.


of inland ports is what oſten attracts shippers and transportation providers to those locations. Those same attributes have made inland ports major distribution points for pandemic-related cargoes such as personal protective equipment and medical supplies—as well as inventories being repositioned closer to production facilities and markets. They also make them magnets


for economic


development in the form of nearby logistics and industrial parks, all of which enhance the value of these locations for shippers and transportation services companies. Investments at and near inland ports proceed apace, a bright sign on an otherwise gloomy horizon.


“Rickenbacker is seeing record numbers of international cargo flight arrivals.”


-- Bryan Schreiber, Columbus Regional Airport Authority.


Rickenbacker has also attracted large quantities of COVID-related cargo. Several hundred tons of PPE have been shipped by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to Rickenbacker since early April and close to 150 new flights out of Asia since March 1 have carried medical supplies. One of LCK’s major air


carriers, Emirates Airlines, has repurposed some of its passenger jets to carry products related to pandemic relief. “To date, 40 converted passenger plane arrivals from Dubai and


Emirates Airlines, a major air carrier to Rickenbacker International Airport, has repurposed some of its passenger jets to carry products related to pandemic relief. (Credit: LCK)


focused is in Columbus, Ohio, where the freighter-dedicated Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK) forms the hub to a transportation system that provides one-day access to half the United States population and one-third of Canada’s by truck. Columbus has, in recent years, attracted the national distribution operations of top retailers, thanks to its central location.


Critical Supplies


Hanoi aboard Emirates have carried PPE and other goods,” said Bryan Schreiber, air cargo manager at the Columbus Regional Airport Authority. In fact, he added, “Rickenbacker is seeing record numbers of international cargo flight arrivals.” It’s not only PPE and medical


products that are aboard these flights, but also manufacturers’ inventories being evacuated from COVID hot spots and positioned closer to production facilities and consumers.


“Aerospace, auto, electronics, chemicals, and industrial products are some of the cargoes coming through the airport as a result of global supply-chain disruption,” said Schreiber.


Competitive Advantages Another inland port that


emphasizes air connections is KC SmartPort, a non-profit economic


development


organization that works to attract manufacturers, distributors, and warehousing operations, to the


18 county, bi-state Kansas City region. Kansas City is a metro area that boasts four modes of transportation: rail, truck, water, and air. “Having air gives us an


additional competitive advantage,” said Chris Gutierrez, president of KC SmartPort. “As congestion and costs go up at coastal ports, moving inland to do your value-added work like distribution, assembly, kitting, and packaging becomes more efficient and price competitive, and you can reach a larger portion of the U.S. population.”


Cargo Surges


Besides Columbus, other inland ports equipped to handle COVID-related cargoes have also been prospering. Port Milwaukee, on Lake Michigan, saw a 2% increase in tonnage during the first half of this year. “Given our success in 2019


[when the port saw an 11% increase], we are very happy that we have been able to maintain safe and productive o per a ti o ns during the


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