ANC Ranks 3rd in the World for Air Cargo
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) surpassed Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) in the latest tally of world air cargo to claim the slot for third busiest airport in 2022.
ANC Rank
Airports Council International (ACI) counted 3,461,603 tonnes of cargo transiting ANC’s runways. Among the top ten airports, ANC had the largest increase since 2019, with 26.1 percent more cargo tonnage, even though volume dropped by 4.3 percent since 2021.
“ANC is committed to continue serving as one the busiest cargo airports in the world through maintaining positive relationships with our partnering stakeholders around our airport,” says ANC Airport Manager Craig Campbell. “Responsible growth and development are occurring to allow ANC to keep up with the demands of the aviation industry. We are an important part of the world’s economy, as the designation of third busiest signifies.”
Hong Kong Airport remained in the top rank, with 4.2 million tonnes, followed by the FedEx hub in Memphis, Tennessee, with 4 million tonnes. Shanghai PVG, with the largest year-over-year drop of 21.7 percent, moved a little less than 3.1 million tonnes.
ACI notes that air cargo volumes worldwide decreased in 2022 by 6.7 percent compared to the year before, and tonnage is still 1.7 percent lower than in 2019. The trade group attributes the decline to ongoing geopolitical tensions and disruptions to global trade and supply chains. Among the top ten for 2022, only Louisville, Kentucky’s airport grew since 2021, up half a percent to rank 5th.
For international freight only, ANC ranks 6th, moving 2.3 million tonnes, down 5.6 percent from 2021 but up 21.1 percent from 2019, the largest growth among the top ten. Hong Kong, Incheon, Shanghai, Taipei, and Tokyo saw more international freight, and Miami, Florida is the only other US airport among the top ten for international air cargo.
“This announcement demonstrates that the Anchorage International Airport is becoming an even stronger player in Alaska’s economy, supporting many other logistics and aviation-related businesses throughout our state,” says Governor Mike Dunleavy. “Our international airport system communicates to the world that we are open and ready for business.”
For passenger volume, Atlanta, Georgia remains the top worldwide, seeing more than 93 million travelers in 2022. ACI counted almost 89 million total aircraft movements worldwide, up 20.4 percent from 2021. This represents a recovery of 82.5 percent from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.