A.P. Moller-Maersk is scaling its air freight services in the U.S. and adding warehouses in Southeast Asia.
The container logistics giant has inaugurated a new 123,000-square-foot air freight gateway near Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport (ATL).
The facility aims to serve local and regional distribution. Located in Atlanta Tradeport’s Foreign Trade Zone, the new air cargo facility can lower duties and processing fees while quickly moving goods from the Port of Savannah, according to the company.
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Atlanta is a vital economic and transportation epicenter in the southeastern U.S., hosting the headquarters of UPS. More than 75 percent of Fortune 1000 companies have a presence in the Georgia city, Maersk said.
The site will act as a forward staging facility for Maersk’s own controlled flight operations in Greenville, S.C.—where the company operates five Boeing 747 freighter return Maersk flights per week to Hahn, Germany, and two per week to Shenyang, China, with another onward connection to Seoul, South Korea.
There are 39 dock doors and two oversized drive-up ramps at the gateway, which operates as a U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Certified Cargo Screening Facility (CCSF) to ensure timely, secure handling of air freight.
The Atlanta facility enhances Maersk’s air freight services in North America. The company recently opened a new Chicago air freight gateway facility to add more supply chain integration opportunities for customers using Chicago O’Hare International and Rockford International.
“Maersk is strengthening our promise to customers of integrated, end-to-end logistics solutions by growing our air freight services in a strategic transportation hub,” said John Wetherell, regional head of air freight, North America, Maersk. “Our Atlanta facility enhances our offering, providing customers with superior supply chain flexibility supported by our expanded regional capabilities in warehousing and transportation. We will be able to leverage this connectivity to bolster our air freight network across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the world.
Prior to the Chicago launch, Maersk debuted an air freight service with regular flights between South Carolina, South Korea and China operated by Miami-headquartered cargo airline Amerijet International.
Maersk is also strengthening its omnichannel fulfillment capabilities internationally after breaking ground on a new 1.1 million-square-foot facility in Singapore on Wednesday. Located in Jurong West, the distribution center called World Gateway 2 is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025.
Strategically located in the industrial area with direct access to a major highway, the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), the facility will have access to the nation’s Tuas Mega Port and Changi International Airport.
The gateway will be close to World Gateway 1, Singapore’s largest automated and customs-bonded warehouse. The new distribution center will host an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) that can handle 30,000 pallets, with a large floor plate of 160,000 square feet.
This multi-story facility will have 36-foot ceilings per floor, suitable for dense storage and implementation of robotics and automation systems. Equipped with ample loading bays and container parking places to manage peak season volumes, it caters to e-commerce fulfillment boom, and offers logistics solutions for industries including footwear and apparel, luxury fashion, healthcare products, beauty and wellness across Asia and the rest of the world.
“As Maersk becomes a global integrator of logistics, our powerful omnichannel fulfillment solutions enable our customers to have predictability, visibility and efficiency in their supply chain, improving their profitability and brand reputation in today’s complicated marketplace,” said Dominic Gates, CEO of omnichannel fulfillment, Maersk Asia Pacific, in a statement. “Our continued investment in logistics and services underscores our commitment to support customers’ business needs. Expanding the warehousing footprint and omnichannel fulfillment competence is essential to our strategic growth, and we’re very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.”
The new facility will be both LEED Platinum- and Green Mark Platinum-certified. It will be equipped with motion sensor-LED lights, solar panels, and a composite panel façade system for building insulation.
On Monday, Maersk also opened its first multi-customer warehouse in Croatia. Located less than 13 miles from the port of Rijeka in the northern part of the country, it aims for faster delivery times and efficient cargo handling in the region.
This 129.2-million-square-foot warehouse became operational with global retail brand Marks & Spencer as its first customer. The facility has more flexible pallet capacity and offers customs services.
