FedEx to expand hub in Indianapolis and increase capacity by more than 30 percent

Staff -- Logistics Management, 5/8/2006

INDIANAPOLIS—FedEx Express and the Indianapolis International Airport have announced an expansion plan for the express carrier’s Indianapolis Hub and a multi-year agreement that includes construction of up to 14 additional wide-body aircraft gates.

The expansion at the second-largest domestic FedEx Express hub behind Memphis will increase package processing capacity by more than 30 percent—from 75,000 packages per hour to 99,000 packages per hour. Additional capacity is needed at the hub to meet forecasted long-term package-volume growth for international shipments, in particular.

As many as 800 additional employees may be hired bringing the employment at the Hub to almost 5,000 workers.

The plan calls for a 400,000-square-foot expansion to the hub’s existing sort facility and construction of a 175,000-square-foot secondary sort building. Two maintenance buildings, including a 40,000-square-foot facility for aircraft maintenance and an 8,000 square-foot facility for ground support equipment will also be built increasing total hub growth by more than 600,000 square feet. Construction is expected to begin in the near future and the anticipated operational date for the expanded system is December 2008.