Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is best known for moving the most passengers in the world each year, but an award it won in Germany highlights its ability to move goods as well.

About 650 people attended a banquet in Munich on May 13, where Hartsfield-Jackson was named the top cargo airport of the year, beating out airports in Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Singapore.

Along with about 40,000 other people, Hartsfield officials will be attending the Transport Logistic conference until May 15, aiming to attract more cargo carriers to Atlanta and promote Georgia and the Southeast U.S.

They have met with 20-25 airlines, but hundreds of people have come to their booth to learn about the airport and the city of Atlanta, Warren Jones, Hartsfield’s aviation development manager, told GlobalAtlanta in a phone interview from Munich.

Awards in 10 categories are given out at the biennial Air Cargo World conference.  This year, that conference is part of Transport Logistic, which brings together logistics professionals from all modes of transportation – ocean, trucking and air.

Freight forwarders, airlines and other industry professionals – the airport’s peers – voted for Hartsfield because of its efficient cargo operations, Mr. Jones said.

While most of Hartsfield’s revenue comes from passenger flights, its cargo business has potential for growth.  In addition to boosting the airport, it also adds to the economic vitality of the region, Mr. Jones said.

"Cargo means jobs and development for the Southeast, and while the airport is a passenger-dominated airport, there is still room to grow cargo, as it's a very simple operation to support with the infrastructure that we have and what the developers, the freight forwarders, the airlines have,” Mr. Jones said.

The airport has the capacity to add three to four more cargo airlines in its current space, he said.

The last cargo airline to announce service to Atlanta was Luxembourg-based Cargolux Airlines.  In December the airline upped its weekly flights from two to three.

Hartsfield officials met Cargolux leaders at a conference like the one they’re now attending and worked two years before the partnership paid off, Mr. Jones said.

Mr. Jones estimates that every twice-weekly cargo flight has an annual impact of $10 million on Atlanta’s economy.  That’s $40 million for the city if Hartsfield can fill its four open slots, he said.

This economic downturn has hit the logistics industry hard. Just as Georgia’s ports have lost container volumes, air cargo is down as well.

Year-on-year growth has dropped in each of the last three quarters, Mr. Jones said.

But there are slight signs of recovery, as some services that were dropped have been picked back up.

“When volumes start to increase, that means factories are starting to produce,” he said.

In 2012, Atlanta will host the International Air Cargo Association Forum and Exhibition, a biennial trade show.

The airport’s new international terminal is scheduled to be completed by 2011, adding 12 gates that will be dedicated to international flights. 

While the terminal is mainly for passengers, many international airlines make substantial revenue by carrying cargo on passenger flights, said Sarah Berry, a market research analyst at the airport. 

Ms. Berry is also attending the conference and spoke with GlobalAtlanta by phone. 

She and Mr. Jones have been working with officials from the state of Georgia’s office in Munich, which has provided technical support and cultural knowledge for the airport’s team during their time there.

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