Heightened demand for next day delivery service is the main driver behind UPS’s plans to expand its express air network to Gary/Chicago International Airport.
The Atlanta-based package delivery giant announced it will begin service at the Gary airport Nov. 2, ahead of the 2020 holiday shopping season. Its Gary operations will be served by a UPS Airlines Airbus A300, which has a maximum payload of more than 120,000 pounds and capable of carrying 14,000 next day air packages.
The move will create about 60 jobs, including ground handlers, administrative positions, aircraft maintenance technicians and management employees. Some employees will be current UPS staff who will transfer to Gary with the rest being new hires, UPS said.
“The Gary/Chicago International Airport is well-positioned to add additional capacity and flexibility to the UPS network, helping businesses in Northern Indiana and the Chicago area compete at e-commerce’s fast pace as they serve their customers,” said Brendan Canavan, UPS airlines president. UPS said its national next day air average daily volume grew 20.5% between January and March, the fourth consecutive quarter of double-digit increases.
UPS will lease 14,000 square feet of office space in the Gary airport’s passenger terminal and a
150,000-square-foot ramp area with enough room for two A300s.
UPS expects daily late evening flights out of Gary to the UPS Worldport in Louisville, Ky., the company’s global air hub. After sorting at Worldport, the aircraft will return to Gary early the following morning carrying thousands of express shipments scheduled for delivery in the greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana area later that same day, UPS said.
“UPS expanding its services to GCIA provides the airport with a critical competitive advantage and solidifies its role as the Chicago region’s third regional airport,” said Timothy Fesko, chairman of the GCIA Authority Board. “This is the latest private sector investment bolstering our operations capability and allows the airport to provide critical benefits to the Chicago metropolitan area.”
