Freight shipments from local seaports are now departing MIA to
foreign destinations in Europe and Asia
Kimberly Wakeman, Vice President, Customized Brokers; Nelly Yunta, Vice President, Crowley; Edgar E. Baldizon, Director Comercial, Linea Vegetal Tecpan SA; Joseph Napoli, MDAD Chief of Staff; Patricia Millon, Centurion Cargo Vice President, Perishable Goods & Imports; and Ernesto Rodriguez, MDAD Marketing Division Chief. 
(MIAMI, February 3, 2017) – On February 2, Miami International Airport (MIA) welcomed Florida’s first-ever ocean-to-air perishables trans-shipment – the latest innovation launched by the global cargo hub to strengthen and diversify its cargo business. The first trans-shipment included nearly 10 tons of peas from Guatemala, which arrived aboard the Crowley Maritime Corp. vessel Tucana J at Port Everglades on January 30, was trucked to MIA, and then departed to Amsterdam via Centurion Cargo on February 2.
Already the busiest U.S. airport for international air freight and 10th busiest in the world, the new trans-shipment pilot program now allows MIA to receive perishable freight by sea as well – a first for any Florida airport. Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved the program’s permit, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agreed to expedite processing of the ocean shipments before their air departures.
“We greatly appreciate our cargo and federal agency partners for collaborating with us in this exciting new chapter of MIA’s growth,” said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. González. “We continue to explore innovative concepts like the Ocean-to-Air program, which have immense potential to generate new revenue and business ties around the world.”
Miami-based Customized Brokers, a subsidiary of Crowley Maritime Corp., partnered with MIA to win approval for the program. The logistics firm can now coordinate ocean shipments of perishable products from Latin America to Port Everglades and then transport them to MIA, where they will depart by air to freighters serving Euro
