What an interesting year it has been for Elliott Paige, Airport Director of Air Service Development at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
      The big airport in Gerogia continues its remarkable growth, innovation, and expansion.
      We caught up with Elliott as he was on a flight last week traveling back to Atlanta after a long mission promoting cargo and passenger in India and South Africa. 
      “For ATL, 2018 will be a year of renewal and refocus on infrastructural capacity growth.
      “By then, we will have a new operator in our 120,000-square foot building, and commence refurbishing one of our older buildings, perhaps with a development partner specializing in more modern warehouse design.
      “We will continue building relationships both with our Atlanta cargo community, and with other major airports in Asia and Europe as we support the global supply chain for production and trade.
      “Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (HJIA) will of course continue to use these relationships to increase our efficiencies, like TruckPass, our truck staging solution for land side, among others.”     
 

As 2017 Winds Down

      “Before year end,” Mr. Paige assured, “my team and I will meet with our airport experts and consultants to analyze synergies between our passenger belly cargo and all-freighter operations.
      “It will be a challenging year as we keep up with growth, but an exciting one.”

Efficiencies A Cargo Community Effort

      “HJIA has been making changes to expand cargo and improve efficiencies.
      “We don’t do this alone,” Elliott assures.
      “We engage the cargo community in all our efforts and let them give us the solutions that we support.
      “We want all to know that ATL offers competitive advantages being less than 2 hours by air or 2 days by ground from 80 percent of the U.S. consumer market.
      “We want all Asian and European exporters to know that ATL is the best option for getting your goods to American consumers and producers.”

The Last Word

      “So we look ahead with a new warehouse with airside access of 120,000 square feet; a Build, Own, Operate, Transfer warehouse project of about 550,000 square feet, the RFP of which should hit the streets before year end, and enabling work that is ongoing, including additional taxi-way and ramp space; and new sister airport agreements with selected Asian and European cities specifically designed to promote cargo operations in partnership with airlines.
      “ATL will continue to work in partnership with our stakeholders.  
      “We look forward to growth in 2018 and evolving to accommodate that growth.
      “Above all, we want your business and will work for it,” Elliott Page smiled.
elliott.paige@atl.com.
Geoffrey