Across from Detroit, Windsor to build major air cargo hub

WINDSOR, Ontario, the Canadian city across the river from Detroit, has found a site for air cargo hub the municipal government intends to build, paying back the initial investment through anticipated lease down payments rather than tax payers` money.

A Lufthansa Aviation study, commissioned by the city-owned Windsor International Airport, said the plan was sound and the site "excellent" for a multi-million dollar air freight hub, reported state broadcaster CBC News. Its conclusion was that Windsor might well divert air cargo from congested airports in Montreal and Toronto.


Lufthansa found Windsor an excellent location for shipping companies and had "a lot of sleeping potential", with the ability to handle up to 90,000 tonnes of commercial air freight within 25 years.


Windsor International Airport employs 200 people. In 2007, it served 118,251 passengers on public and corporate flights.


CBC News reported that the City of Windsor will build a "multi-modal cargo facility" with assistance from Hamilton, Ontario-based Carlin Transportation, a logistics and freight services provider, to find the needed tenants. Carlin sometimes represents Florida-based transport giant Landstar System Inc.


Employing 360, and providing another 100 indirect jobs, the main hub building would be an 80-door facility with a 2,700-square metre loading dock and a 1,100-square metre office building covering a total of 60 hectares on the northeast corner of the airport. Today, Windsor International Airport employs 200 people.


But work will not begin until Carlin returns to the city with 10 firm contracts signed by companies wanting to set up shop at the airport.


Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis said no taxpayer money would be involved and that the city would pay to build the facility using down payments on the leases from the 10 interested companies.