Cargo Companies May Be Leaving Jackson Airport

March 3, 2004

Cargo Companies May Be Leaving Jackson Airport
WLBT-TV, MS

The Jackson Municipal Airport Authority says it plans
on breaking ground this month on a
multi-million-dollar air cargo facility. Companies
operating out of the airport's old facility have been
offered a chance to move to the new location. But if
they turn down the offer, they have to move out. 

Airport Authority officials say plans for a new air
cargo center have been in the works since the 1990's.
The Mississippi International Air Cargo Center will be
located on the west side of the airport and will be
accessible from Highway 475. 

"So far we have about $15 million worth of investment
on 475," said Airport Authority executive director
Dirk Vanderleest. 

He says the new center will have 475,000 square feet
of air cargo space and parking spots for airplanes. 

"We will have the capability of handling wide-body
airplanes that we didn't have in our current
location," said Vanderleest. "So there's been a lot of
planning, a lot of investment made on the Airport
Authority as well as the federal government." 

The nine companies that operate out of the current
building have been offered to relocate to the new air
cargo center later this year, but Vanderleest says
they have to sign a lease now. If they don't, they
must move out of their current location by the end of
the month. 

Vanderleest says so far, Mississippi Cargo Services
has turned down the offer. Some of the cargo carrier
managers we spoke with say they're surprised they've
been given only a month to move out, but Vanderleest
says the Airport Authority is just trying to encourage
them to move into the new facility. He also adds that
plans for the new center haven't been kept secret. 

"We've had existing leases that have been on a 30-day
notification for the last three to four years," he
said. 

Vanderleest says the old building may be turned into a
maintenance repair overhaul location or a general
aviation facility. He says phase one of the new air
cargo center will hopefully be complete in October of
this year. 

Vanderleest confirmed that the United States Postal
Service plans on moving to the new location but will
operate only as an air mail facility. All mail boxes
will be relocated to the post office in Flowood. 
 
 
 
  
 

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