Amazon to open Tulsa, OK cargo hub

Amazon.com is to build a 270,000 square foot (around 26,000 sqm) sortation facility adjacent to Tulsa Int’l, a city-owned civil-military airport located about 8km northeast of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. The facility is expected to be completed in late 2021, making it Amazon’s third large investment in Tulsa, following the 2.5 million square foot (232,257sqm) packing warehouse that opened in August 2020, the airport announced in a statement. Amazon’s new facility is the latest addition to the airport’s industrial complex, which includes 4,900 acres of the city’s largest aviation, logistics, and transportation providers. “With nearly 700 acres [2.8 million sqm] of property available for industrial development, the airport is strategically developing parcels based on developers’ needs and intended use. Some 200 acres located in the airport’s north development area have direct access to the airfield, suitable for hangar development, maintenance, repair, and overhaul work, or a variety of other uses,” the airport said. “Property development is one of the airport’s key initiatives, and we are thrilled to have Amazon continue their investment here in Tulsa and on airport land,” said Alexis Higgins, Chief Executive Officer of the Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust (TAIT), which administers, manages, and operates Tulsa International Airport. “Having access to land near the airport as a transportation hub is an incredibly powerful tool for companies as they expand, and we look forward to continuing to support industrial development,” he said. Tulsa is a key logistics conduit located adjacent to three interstate highways (Interstate 244, US 64, and US 75), two major railways, and within ten minutes of the United States’ largest inland ice-free seaport. Other cargo operators with a major presence at Tulsa International Airport include FedEx Express, UPS Airlines, Ameriflight, and DHL Express. Amazon’s US production carriers include ATI – Air Transport International, Atlas Air, Southern Air, ABX Air, and Sun Country Airlines. According to its latest available aviation activity report, Tulsa recorded a 5.78% decrease in cargo volumes in the year-to-date compared to the same period in 2020, from 29,348,779 pounds (13,312 tonnes) to 27,653,829 pounds (12,543 tonnes) of cargo enplaned/deplaned.