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Big freighter era begins at Birmingham airport in Alabama

Swiss logistics giant Kuehne+Nagel charters all-cargo jets to serve Southeast

Eric Kulisch
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Kuehne+Nagel on Sunday celebrated the start of regular freighter service to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. A hydraulic dock lowers cargo from the main deck of the Atlas Air jet. (Photo: BMH Airport)

An Atlas Air 747-8 jumbo freighter landed at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport on Sunday, kicking off twice-weekly service from Stuttgart, Germany, controlled by global logistics powerhouse Kuehne+Nagel.

The world’s largest airfreight forwarder in February announced it had leased a cargo warehouse at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth airport (BHM) to establish a freighter hub in the Southeast for its virtual airline operated by Atlas Air and Cargolux. Kuehne+Nagel (CXE: KNIN) will initially rent a hanger to process shipments moving on its dedicated cargo jets while a permanent facility is built.

The flights are geared toward the automotive, aerospace and pharmaceutical industries. Mercedes-Benz, which manufactures autos and electric vehicle batteries in Alabama, is an anchor customer for the service. The route continues to Chicago O’Hare International Airport and back to Stuttgart. 

“Our vision is to make Birmingham into a long-term gateway to and from the Southeastern corridor of the U.S. and we’re pleased to be able to provide customers with alternative options that support their supply chain needs,” said Greg Martin, senior vice president of air logistics at Switzerland-based K+N.


An official ceremony commemorating the inaugural flight was attended by local officials and representatives from the Birmingham Airport Authority, according to a news release from the airport. Kuehne+Nagel represents Birmingham’s first international, heavy-freight scheduled service.

BMH is the first non-tier 1 airport that K+N has used as a cargo hub in the U.S. Less-congested airports are becoming popular with cargo airlines and air logistics providers to ensure faster transit and lower fees for customers.

K+N achieved $685.5 million in fourth quarter operating profit, 43% less than the prior year as the global economy slowed but still better than any quarter other than a record 2021.

Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.


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Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Supply Chain and Air Cargo Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals and a Silver Medal from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government and trade coverage, and news analysis. He was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He won Environmental Journalist of the Year from the Seahorse Freight Association in 2014 and was the group's 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. In December 2022, Eric was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist by the Seahorse Freight Association. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. He has appeared on Marketplace, ABC News and National Public Radio to talk about logistics issues in the news. Eric is based in Vancouver, Washington. He can be reached for comments and tips at [email protected]