Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport:  In 1999 Hartsfield ranked first in the world for both passengers and operations.  Hartsfield is located only 10 minutes by driving (7 miles/ 11.3 km), southwest of Atlanta’s central business district. The downtown convergence of three interstates – I-85, I-75 and I-20, as well as the I-285 perimeter – allows easy access to the airport from all points of metro Atlanta. Four parallel runways handle more than 2,500 takeoffs and landings daily. Two major airline maintenance facilities and more than 1.5 million square feet of cargo facilities operate on the site. In 1999, Hartsfield opened its newest $34.5 million cargo facility, which added 400,000 square feet to the airport-owned cargo complex, doubling its capacity. 

AIR CARGO AND FREIGHT

 Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport is one of the world’s leading air freight terminals. Nearly 900,000 metric tons of cargo were shipped through Hartsfield in 1999. Total shipments from Hartsfield have grown 9.6 percent over the last five years.  Two dozen all-cargo and express airlines ship out of Atlanta.  Another two dozen airlines carry passengers and freight out of Hartsfield. More than 60 motor carriers expedite ground service for air cargo shipments coming into Atlanta. More than 80 percent of the U.S. population is within a day or so by interstate trucking, and two of the nation’s largest railways have located major freight facilities nearby.  Hartsfield’s cargo facilities are located within the North, South and Midfield Cargo Complexes. Each offers excellent dockside access to and from interstates 75, 85, 20 and 285 via the airport’s Loop Road. The recent opening of Hartsfield’s 400,000-square-foot South Cargo Complex brings the airport’s total handling capacity to more than two million square feet. The North and South cargo complexes maintain independent refueling and sup-port systems, allowing quick turnaround for cargo operators. More than 100 licensed customs brokers and 200 domestic and international freight forwarders offer competitive services at Hartsfield.  Shippers of air-freighted perishables and livestock receive expedient and efficient service at Hartsfield’s Perishables and Equine centers. The Atlanta Perishables Center is totally climate-con-trolled and features on-site distribution and transport capabilities, USDA inspection services and a fumigation chamber. According to the Aviation Department, Hartsfield is the only airport in the Southeast approved by the USDA to apply cold treatment, an envi-ronmentally safe alternative to methyl bromide. The Atlanta Equine Center also offers holding and bathing facilities and examination pens.

RAIL TRANSPORTATIONATION

Railroads have been central to the development of Atlanta, and today a 4,900-mile network of main and branch lines running throughout the state connects in Atlanta. Georgia has two Class 1 rail-roads, one regional, 13 local and 2 switching and terminal railroads, as listed by the  Association of American Railroads. In the last year counted, 38.5 million tons of goods originated in Georgia, and another 83million tons terminated in the state. With its superior rail, road, and air infrastructure, Atlanta serves as a major gateway to U.S. markets.RAIL TRANSPORTATION

Intermodal

Atlanta is an intermodal hub for container and bulk distribution, and has doubled its intermodal capabilities over the last several years. CSX and Norfolk Southern are the Class 1 railroad freight carriers serving Georgia. Through local strategic investments made by these railroad giants, Atlanta was named thenation’s first U.S. Customs model inland port. With the 1988 federal designation of the General Purpose Foreign Trade Zone #26 in Atlanta, containers can travel inbound from the coast to the U.S. Customs office in Atlanta. Each line operates huge intermodal facilities in Atlanta.  The new CSX terminal in Atlanta’s Hulsey Yard is second only to Chicago in terms of freight volume for CSX, the largest intermodal carrier in the United States. Hulsey handles more than 500 trucks and 16 trains per day while accommodating 180flatcars at a time. CSX built a 24-hour terminal in Fairburn that opened June, 1999. Other major Atlanta yards include Howell and Tilford. Since 1987, CSX has doubled its container throughput. It offers freight service to more than 20 states, the District of Columbia and Canada over 22,000 miles of track.  For more information, contact CSX at 800-279-7245 or 800-874-8430. Web address is www.csxt.com.   

In Atlanta, Norfolk Southern Railway’s Inman Yard is the largest of the company’s 33 intermodal yards and includes the nation’s first intermodal facility. Its Easy Point Yard, in south Atlanta, is the largest Road Railer hub in the world. Its Doraville, Armour, Chamblee and Gwinnett yards are satellites serving local industries. Norfolk Southern operates on more than 18,000 miles of track in 20 states. At least two stack trains leave Atlanta daily for the West Coast.  For more information, contact Norfolk Southern at 404-527-2733 or 800-635-5768. Web address is www.nscorp.com   

For more information on additional freight railroads operating in Georgia, contact the Association of American Railroads at 202-639-2326 or visit www.aar.org.