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Delta Air Lines to expand cargo capability in Salt Lake City

Modernized facility expected to facilitate transport for Utah businesses

· Monday, November 03, 2025

Cargo was only 1.6% of Delta Air Lines’ total revenue in 2024, but carrying cargo in the lower deck is still considered a valuable line of business that can often determine whether a flight turns a profit. (Photo: Delta)

Key Takeaways:

Delta Air Lines is investing up to $18 million, supported by a Utah Inland Port Authority loan, to modernize its cargo terminal at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC).
The new facility, scheduled to open in 2027, will enhance cargo operations with features like warehousing, refrigerated storage, and cold-chain capabilities for temperature-sensitive goods.
Utah officials anticipate the upgrade will benefit state manufacturers by enabling direct global shipments and reducing reliance on coastal gateways.
This investment aligns with a broader industry trend of airlines expanding cargo infrastructure, as evidenced by Delta's recent significant increases in cargo revenue.

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Delta Air Lines announced Monday it will invest up to $18 million to modernize its cargo terminal at Salt Lake City International Airport, one of the airline’s main passenger hubs.

The Utah Inland Port Authority is providing a loan for up to $18 million for the project, Delta spokesperson Berj Alexanian said via email.

The Atlanta-based carrier will relocate to a new facility previously occupied by the U.S. Postal Service. The renovation project will significantly improve cargo operations, according to a Delta (NYSE: DAL) news release.

Utah officials said the infrastructure upgrade is a positive development for manufacturers in the state, who will be able to directly route shipments to customers rather than having to rely on coastal gateways as intermediate transfer points.

The new facility is scheduled to open in 2027. It will feature warehousing, refrigerated storage, shipping and receiving, administrative space, and a customer lobby. Cold-chain capabilities will support high-value, temperature-sensitive goods such as pharmaceuticals and perishables.

Delta offers 255 departures from SLC on the busiest day of the week to nearly 100 destinations across the globe. The airline this year added new direct routes from SLC to Lima, Peru, and Seoul, South Korea.

Delta is not the only airline investing in U.S. cargo infrastructure. Southwest Airlines in June opened a $28 million facility in Denver that doubled its capacity, including significantly more cold-storage space. Last year, United Airlines moved into a 165,000 square-foot cargo facility near Newark International Airport in New Jersey, supplementing its on-airport terminal.

Delta generated $233 million in cargo revenue during the third quarter, a 19% increase from the same period last year. Cargo revenue was up 14% for the first nine months of 2025.

Click here for more FreightWaves/PostalMag stories by Eric Kulisch.

Southwest Airlines’ $28M investment expands cargo capacity in Denver

Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Parcel 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 was runner up for News Journalist and Supply Chain Journalist of the Year in the Seahorse Freight Association's 2024 journalism award competition. In December 2022, Eric was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist. He won the group's Environmental Journalist of the Year award in 2014 and was the 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. 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 ekulisch@freightwaves.com Eric is the Parcel 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 was runner up for News Journalist and Supply Chain Journalist of the Year in the Seahorse Freight Association's 2024 journalism award competition. In December 2022, Eric was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist. He won the group's Environmental Journalist of the Year award in 2014 and was the 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. 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 ekulisch@freightwaves.com Eric is based in Vancouver, Washington. He can be reached for comments and tips at ekulisch@freightwaves.com