On Nov. 2, global transportation and logistics services provider United Parcel Service (UPS) began Next Day Air Service operations at Gary / Chicago International Airport (GCIA). The start of operations fulfills their commitment to begin cargo operations to the region’s third official airport in advance of the peak holiday shopping season. The agreement is the latest private sector investment to bolster the airport’s operations capability, providing GCIA with a strong competitive advantage while offering critical benefits to the Chicago Metropolitan Area.
“The beginning of UPS operations continues our long-term strategy of encouraging private investment to support our overall mission at the airport,” said GCIA Board Authority Chairman Timothy Fesko. “By offering further cargo operations service, we continue to fill our role as a critical component in the Chicago regional air system, while also serving as a key economic engine for the Northwest Indiana region.”
The UPS agreement includes 14,000 square feet of office space in the airport’s passenger terminal as well as a 150,000 square foot ramp, with enough space to park two A300s and an additional 5,800 square feet of hangar space to help support their operations. This provides GCIA with an important new tenant while also allowing the airport to enhance its vital niche in the Chicago regional air traffic network.
“Chicagoland and northwestern Indiana are important markets for UPS,” said UPS Airlines President Brendan Canavan. “We’re pleased to add global air express flights from Gary, providing capacity and flexibility for businesses in the region.”
UPS will offer Next Day Air Service per their agreement with GCIA. Each weeknight, UPS aircraft will depart GCIA for the company’s global air hub in Louisville, Kentucky carrying thousands of express packages for sortation and movement to destinations around the globe. Nationwide, UPS Next Day Air volume continues to increase, driven by growing eCommerce, healthcare and small business demand, as well as by customer’s desires to reach emerging markets overseas.
“Over the past several years the airport has steadily increased our capacity to support a large-scale operator such as UPS, and we are encouraged to see that investment pay dividends,” said GCIA Executive Director Duane Hayden. “This is a key milestone for the airport as we continue our efforts to complement the Chicago regional air system.”
"This is an exciting time for the City of Gary, our Gary/Chicago International Airport team and our friends at UPS," said City of Gary Mayor Jerome A. Prince. "When we collaborate with each other and great companies like UPS, we can truly re-imagine Gary and see the great potential we have."
“AvPORTS is very excited to have UPS begin Next Day Air Service operations at Gary / Chicago International Airport,” said Jorge Roberts, CEO of AvPORTs, the single service provider overseeing GCIA operations. “GCIA serves a vital role for cargo traffic in the Chicago and Northwest Indiana region, and UPS’s investment in the airport secures a key partner for its future while adding needed jobs at a critical moment for our economy.”
UPS anticipates employing about 60 people at the GCIA facility, including ground handlers, administrative positions, aircraft maintenance technicians and management employees. Some will be current UPS employees who transfer to Gary, while others will be new hires. Hiring will begin later this year.
