Korean Air installing automated cargo equipment at Incheon, JFK terminals

Korean Air is making significant investments to automate cargo handling and enhance storage infrastructure at its key cargo hubs in Seoul and New York, FreightWaves has learned. The modernization projects are aimed at maintaining competitiveness by boosting operational efficiency and freight capacity, especially as the carrier prioritizes high-value, temperature-sensitive and specialized freight such as pharmaceuticals and cloud computing components. Korean Air is the tenth-largest cargo carrier in the world by scheduled traffic, according to the International Air Transport Association. It operates 23 freighter aircraft — 11 Boeing 747s and 12 777s — in addition to handling cargo carried by the airline’s passenger fleet. A comprehensive upgrade of Cargo Terminal 1 at Incheon International Airport is expected to be completed by September, said spokesman Ken Kang-Hee Lee via email.