Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP Cargo) has officially opened its newly configured and renovated warehouse at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), the largest international cargo airport in North America.

The airport is AFKLMP Cargo’s third cargo hub and since 2022 has been considered the world’s most interconnected cargo airport.

Since November 2020, ORD has witnessed a huge increase in network capacity and cargo volumes.

With notably higher demands for freight in the pharma, aerospace, chemical and e-commerce cargo sectors over recent years, AFKLMP Cargo decided that a long-term expansion of full freighter supply was required.

The renovated warehouse showcases enhanced sustainability features such as LED lighting and electric forklifts, along with a larger capacity dedicated to pharmaceuticals.

Additionally, it now offers a 60 per cent increase in plugs for ACT containers, enabling the handling of larger quantities of specialised cargo, including shipments from other airlines.

Christophe Boucher, Air France Cargo executive vice president, said: “The Air France warehouse at O’Hare is a key asset with good growth outlook, which is why we have invested in both infrastructure and more resources at our Chicago hub.

“After a six-month renovation period, we are proud to share that the capacity of our Chicago warehouse has increased by a sizeable 40 per cent. This growth is supplemented by a streamlining of operational processes and
reassessing the safety compliance of our warehouse, ensuring that our ORD cargo hub has optimised efficiency in order to offer to our Air France and KLM customers a best-in-class service to serve the Midwest Region.”

Jamie L. Rhee, Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) commissioner, said: “O’Hare International Airport is a vital economic engine for the entire Chicago region, and air freight has been a predominant driver of our growth over the last several years.

“AFKLMP Cargo’s warehouse renovation in the South Airfield helps bolster the capacity and efficiency of our cargo operations at one of the world’s great cargo hubs, and I thank the entire team at AFKLMP Cargo for their commitment to the Chicago market.”