ICYMI: In Memphis, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg Highlights Project to Speed Up the Movement of Goods This Holiday Season
Ahead of the holiday season, Memphis International Airport’s new de-icing pad will help move packages quicker, safer, more efficiently, and strengthen the nation’s supply chains.
Memphis, TN — This week, following record-setting Black Friday sales and ahead of the busy holiday season, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg traveled to Memphis International Airport, North America’s busiest cargo airport to highlight investments the Biden-Harris Administration is making to create a stronger, more resilient supply chain.
The Secretary announced the completion of a 3.3 million square foot de-icing pad which was funded in part by $174 million in grants from the Federal Aviation Administration through its Airport Improvement Program.
The pad can accommodate 12 wide-body cargo aircraft simultaneously and will make shipping operations more efficient and sustainable during this holiday season and for years to come.
At the event, the Secretary was joined by Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, President and CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (MSCAA) Scott Brockman, MSCAA Chairman Michael Keeney, Federal Aviation Administration Deputy Administrator Bradley Mims, and other local and aviation leaders to celebrate the project’s completion.
The one-of-a-kind investment will help strengthen U.S. supply chains, keep packages moving, and get goods to shelves on time — regardless of the weather.
During his visit, the Secretary also had the opportunity to tour de-icing operations and meet with FedEx pilots, de-icing truck operators, and workers who help get packages to their final destination every day.
The Memphis project is one example of the actions U.S. DOT has taken to help strengthen the nation’s supply chains, which have also reduced wait times at ports, cut long-dwelling containers in half, and decreased shipping prices. President Biden’s historic investment in our nation’s infrastructure further supports these efforts by making critically needed improvements to improve our port, freight, and trucking infrastructure that will help alleviate supply chain constraints for decades to come.
Click HERE for more information about the project. For more on the Airport Improvement Program, click HERE.
MEDIA COVERAGE:
WANT ABC News Memphis: How Memphis airport upgrades announced by U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will help shoppers
That’s welcome news to small businesses in the Mid-South, including TNC Sports in Bartlett. “As far as the shipping, it’s gotten a lot better,” TNC Sports Manager Kevin Green said.
Action News 5 Memphis: Transportation Secretary calls airport de-icing facility “the future of infrastructure”
“I believe this will be a benchmark for every other airport in the country,” [President] Brockman said. “This facility will be one of the most technologically advanced de-ice facilities anywhere in the world.”
Associated Press: Buttigieg says Memphis de-icing project will help move cargo
Commercial Appeal: In Memphis, Buttigieg says airport is of ‘global importance’
WHBQ Fox News Memphis: $330M de-icing pad unveiled at Memphis airport to speed package deliveries
“Innovative projects like this are key to improving safety, increasing efficiency and advancing sustainability across the country,” said Deputy FAA Administrator A. Bradley Mims.
WREG CBS News Memphis: New de-icing pads keep cargo moving at Memphis airport this winter
