Air Cargo

Overview

Air cargo, which encompasses goods transported in under-carriages of passenger planes ("belly cargo") and in aircraft exclusively carrying freight, is vital to California’s economy.  In 2010, over 3.6 million tons of air cargo having a total trade value of $198.9 billion was handled within, from, and to California. The state’s top four international airports (Los Angeles, Ontario, San Francisco, and Oakland) account for approximately 89 percent of the annual tonnage transported.  
Uncharacteristic of traditional truck, sea, and rail freight, commodities shipped by air tend to be light-weight, of high-value, low-volume, time-sensitive, and travelling great distances. High-tech industry items, such as electronics and machinery, in addition to agricultural perishables and components that demand just-in-time delivery are common.
Fact sheets about the top 12 California cargo-carrying airports can be found by clicking the following link.

• California Airport Fact Sheets

Caltrans Air Cargo Studies

The Caltrans-sponsored Air Cargo Mode Choice and Demand Study was completed by TranSystems in 2010.  This study provides a comprehensive picture of air cargo including historic trends, dynamics of air cargo, industry landside infrastructure capacities, and insight into future air cargo demand. 
System Metrics Group is embarking on an “Air Cargo Ground-side Needs Study” to assist Caltrans in determining how forecasted cargo demand will impact California’s airport system access and to aid in developing criteria to prioritize air cargo investment projects to meet future needs.

BART Air Cargo Transport Research

Caltrans has partnered with University of California, Berkeley’s Partners in Advanced Transit and Highways (PATH) program to support research to study the feasibility of transporting goods from Bay Area airports to intermodal facilities via the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system.  Background information on this effort can be found at: http://www.uctc.net/papers/858.pdf.

Contact

Caltrans Division of Aeronautics

Charged with fostering and promoting the development of a safe, efficient, dependable, and environmentally compatible air transportation system, the Division of Aeronautics supports a website that provides air cargo statistics and other pertinent aviation information.

 

Other Air Cargo Studies

• Taking the Fast Plane to China: An Expanded Role for Air Freight in Increasing California’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exports to China (Jock O’Connell, Center for Agricultural Business at California State University, Fresno, April 2008)
• The Role of Air Cargo in California’s Agricultural Export Trade (Jock O’Connell, Bert Mason, and John Hagen, Center for Agricultural Business at California State University, Fresno, May 2005) and a 2007 Update (Jock O’Connell and Bert Mason, Center for Agricultural Business at California State University, Fresno, August 2007)