Located at the former US Army Air Force base in Ardmore, Oklahoma, GTIP will be turned into an air cargo hub, free from capacity constraints at other major airports.
Existing infrastructure includes 9,002 foot and a 5,404 foot runways, 24/7 airspace access and 1.2 million square feet of aircraft parking space, and can handle aircraft up to Boeing 777-200s, with plans to increase capacity so Boeing 747 Freighters can also be handled.
GTIP is an approved US Foreign Trade Zone with on-site US Customs, Federal Aviation Administration staffing, and cargo operations with no curfews or operational restrictions.
WP Global Holdings, a partnership between Watco, Knightsbridge Partners, and Chickasaw Nation will develop the park under a public-private leasing agreement with Ardmore Development Authority, the property owner.
Michelle Bowling, Senior Director of Sales for Watco says e-commerce cargo increased significantly, and demand is only going to go up.
She says: “To meet increasing demand, freight deserves dedicated, specialised cargo airports, but too few are available. GTIP helps fill that need, offering both existing infrastructure and space to build out customised warehousing, manufacturing, and distribution centres to meet a fully integrated supply chain need.”
Steven Verhasselt, Vice President of Commercial at Liege Airport and Director of FB Cargo Strategy adds: “Developing a greenfield multimodal logistics platform adapted to the new requirements on a fully functional airfield is a perfect answer as it can develop quickly and still be adaptable to current and future requirements. As a dedicated cargo platform it will focus on quality service and guaranteed reliable and flexible minimum time to market.”
The masterplan created by WP Global Holdings includes $99m for infrastructure improvements and $26m for additional warehouse, manufacturing, and distribution facilities.