By Mary Sisk
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Chicago Rockford International Airport ranks as the 14th largest cargo airport in the United States for landed weight.

The airport handled nearly 3.5 billion pounds of cargo in 2021, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. This exceeds larger airports such as Seattle, Honolulu and others.

There has been nearly a 25% increase in landed weight in 2021 compared to 2020, according to Chicago Rockford International Airport.

“RFD continues to grow and set new records for cargo because of our amazing team, the relationships we’ve built over the years, and support from the Rockford region, our state and Federal elected officials, and the FAA,” Mike Dunn, executive director of RFD, said in a news release. “In 2021, the sheer increase in the number of cargo flights and the new international cargo operations on the airport campus landed us among the top 15 cargo airports in the country.”

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This ranking is the airport’s highest yet, after ranking 17 in 2020 and 19 in 2019.

Rockford airport serves more international 15 airlines, freight forwarders, it is a major base of operations for Amazon Air and more.

“We are proud to be a catalyst for economic growth in the Rockford region by bringing in new business and ultimately more job opportunities for individuals and their families,” said Dunn.

Related: Rockford airport working to land more passenger destinations

This article is by Mary Sisk. You can email her at msisk@rockrivercurrent.com or follow her on Instagram at @maryrrcurrent.