Halifax opens new air cargo centre

The ribbon has been cut at the new Halifax Stanfield Air Cargo Logistics Park (ACLP), marking the official opening of Atlantic Canada’s largest air cargo processing facility.

Funding for the construction of the ACLP was first announced in 2018 by the Government of Canada, which contributed $18 million of the total project cost of $36 million through the National Trade Corridors Fund. Funding for the project was also provided by the Government of Nova Scotia ($5 million) and HIAA ($13 million).

“Today’s milestone would not have been possible without the ongoing support of our government and business partners who helped make our vision for the Halifax Stanfield Air Cargo Logistics Park become a reality, even while navigating a global pandemic. We look forward to continuing to accelerate the growth of our communities by connecting Atlantic businesses and goods to the world,” said Joyce Carter, president and chief executive officer, Halifax International Airport Authority.

Seafood processing

The ACLP includes a new building with cold storage space, cargo processing facilities and offices, which has been fully leased to two tenants: Cargojet and First Catch Fisheries. Five new cargo aircraft aprons, or parking spaces, were also constructed alongside the building.

“The new First Catch facility has expanded our operations capacity because we can accommodate more flights, operate cutting-edge lobster holding and handling practices, and handle unforeseen emergencies, such as lengthy flight delays, cancellations, and short notice order changes,” said Lister Li, executive vice-president, First Catch Fisheries Co. Ltd.

“Our business has exported more than 10 million pounds of live Canadian lobster annually for the past three years and our new facility technology and set-up will ensure lower mortality rates, increasing the capacity for even more lobster to safely get to global markets each year.”

This infrastructure expansion complements existing cargo processing capabilities offered at Halifax Stanfield by Gateway Facilities and other service providers. With a total of eight cargo aircraft aprons, cold storage capabilities, and other logistics enhancements, the ACLP increases capacity and improves efficiency for global cargo carriers operating at Halifax Stanfield.

In 2021, 34,769 metric tonnes of cargo, valued at $496 million, were processed at the airport. According to the latest Halifax Stanfield economic impact report, in 2020 cargo exports contributed $664 million to the provincial economy.