Menzies Aviation, the global aviation logistics specialist, today announces that it has been awarded a five-year cargo contract with Avianca at Miami International Airport (MIA). This contract represents one of the most significant wins in the history of Menzies’ cargo business.
Following a competitive process, Avianca selected Menzies as its cargo handling partner of choice at MIA, a strategically important cargo gateway for the airline and the top-ranking US domestic airport for international freight. From May, a team of over 300 Menzies professionals will provide warehouse cargo handling services for Avianca. Menzies and Avianca are already working closely together in preparation for the start-up next month.
Avianca operates at MIA from a 225,000 square foot warehouse and processes approximately 250,000 tonnes of cargo per annum through the facility. The carrier focuses on flowers, fish, fruit and vegetables on the import side, and a broad mix of commodities on the export side of the business.
This contract continues a period of significant growth for Menzies’ cargo operations, with major contract wins across Oceania, Europe and the US in the last six months and an expansion in its global cargo network from 36 to 42 airports.
John Redmond, Executive Vice President – Americas, said: “We are so proud that Avianca has selected Menzies to be their cargo handling partner at their Miami hub, which is a large-scale and complex operation for the carrier. This award marks a major milestone, not only for our cargo operations in the US but globally, and represents Avianca’s great confidence in Menzies’ excellent standards and ability to provide a quality service that is safe, secure and consistent. Our team is already working hard to ensure a successful start up, and we are looking forward to cultivating a strong and close relationship with Avianca over the years to come.”
Ruben Atehortua, Director Cargo Operations – Avianca Cargo, said: “The Avianca organisation is delighted to be starting a new chapter alongside Menzies Aviation at our Miami hub, which is one of our most important operations. We have every faith that this is the beginning of a strong alliance which will enable us to continue providing an exceptional service to our clients whilst enhancing our position in the Miami market. This partnership is underscored by our mutual commitment to efficiency, improvement and reliability, and we are looking forward to working closely with Menzies to advance our state of the art operation.”