Sign In Newsletters Contact Us
Air CargoAmerican ShipperNewsParcel FreightPostalMag

FedEx expansion at Detroit airport boosts parcel, freight capacity

Wider ramp can accommodate 7 large cargo jets

Eric Kulisch
·
FedEx continues to invest in its airport infrastructure, including a modernization of its airside terminal at Detroit airport. (Photo: FedEx)
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • FedEx significantly expanded its Detroit airport facility, doubling its capacity to handle freighter aircraft (now seven widebody planes) and consolidating operations into a single 300,000 sq ft terminal.
  • The new facility features a fully automated parcel sorting system, doubling hourly capacity to 12,000 packages and improving overall efficiency, reliability, and cargo flow.
  • Despite overall capital expenditure reductions, FedEx made this strategic, unannounced investment to capitalize on regional growth potential and enhance its ability to handle diverse freight, including temperature-controlled goods.
Key takeaways sponsored by SONAR
See a mistake? Contact us.

FedEx Corp. recently expanded its facility at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne Country Airport, more than doubling the number of freighter aircraft that can be handled at one time and significantly increasing parcel sorting efficiency.

The integrated express logistics provider never issued a news release about the infrastructure improvements. CEO Raj Subramaniam mentioned them during a Sept. 30 event hosted by Detroit-based Ford Motor Co. about strengthening the industrial economy, saying FedEx made the investment “knowing the potential for growth in this region.”

The new cargo terminal consolidates two manual sorting facilities and one administration building, creating an operation covering more than 300,000 square feet. The two old facilities were a few miles apart: one was on airport property and other was outside the fence in a nearby logistics park, spokesman Jonathan Lyons said in response to an email query.

The facility also includes a fully automated parcel sorting system that doubles sorting capacity to 12,000 packages per hour. The ability to reroute packages in one building, instead of two, improves sort times, reliability and efficiency, he explained.

Another new feature is a temperature-controlled room for storing pharmaceuticals and other perishable goods. In fact, the terminal can handle all types of premium freight and general cargo, including automotive components, not just parcels. 

Next to the building are parking spaces for seven widebody aircraft. The previous facility only had three gates, none of which could accommodate a plane as large as the Boeing 777, said Lyons.

Together, the infrastructure and technology upgrades have allowed FedEx to reduce turnaround times and improve all cargo flow, he added. 

FedEx didn’t disclose the amount of its investment in Detroit.

FedEx has reduced capital expenditures in the past year in response to slower market conditions and excess transportation capacity, but continues to make targeted investments in the air network. Last month it moved into a larger facility at Istanbul International Airport in Turkey and said it will build an air hub in Saudi Arabia. 

Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com.

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

FedEx opens dedicated freight facility at UK airport

FedEx, DHL relocate to larger air package facilities on Europe’s edge

FedEx deepens presence in Saudi Arabia amid trade growth

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