Oregon air cargo capacity to triple with US$4.8 million grant

OREGON's Medford airport expects freight-handling capacity to triple following its second state grant from ConnectOregon Money, allowing for the expansion of Sky Air Cargo LLC facilities and airport parking aprons, reports the Medford Mail-Tribune newspaper.

The grant of US$4.8 million is the second amount received since 2005 by the lottery-funded ConnectOregon and required a 20 per cent match made up of two per cent from Jackson County and the remainder from Sky Air Cargo.

Airport director Bern Case agreed that expansion is overdue with overcrowding becoming a problem: It'll make us quite a bit bigger.

The grant was given the go ahead following confirmation from Sky Air to expand its cargo processing facility of which it has signed a 50-year lease with the county on further property next to the FedEx building. Bids for work are expected in the next few months with completion of airport ramps and parking by October this year and SkyCargo's expansion complete sometime in 2010.

The company has signed a 50-year lease with the county on further property next to the FedEx building which is to result in two 20,000 square foot warehouses for handling of cargo.

In addition to expansion of the parking apron project the FedEx building located in the southwest area of Medford Airport will benefit from improved ramping.

Medford airport which has seen its new $35 million terminal open last month and with a new control tower nearing completion and the old terminal to be taken down.

Source: CRIEnglish