Delta Air Lines announced Monday it will invest up to $18 million to modernize its cargo terminal at Salt Lake City International Airport, one of the airline’s main passenger hubs.
The Utah Inland Port Authority is providing a loan for up to $18 million for the project, Delta spokesperson Berj Alexanian said via email.
The Atlanta-based carrier will relocate to a new facility previously occupied by the U.S. Postal Service. The renovation project will significantly improve cargo operations, according to a Delta (NYSE: DAL) news release.
Utah officials said the infrastructure upgrade is a positive development for manufacturers in the state, who will be able to directly route shipments to customers rather than having to rely on coastal gateways as intermediate transfer points.
The new facility is scheduled to open in 2027. It will feature warehousing, refrigerated storage, shipping and receiving, administrative space, and a customer lobby. Cold-chain capabilities will support high-value, temperature-sensitive goods such as pharmaceuticals and perishables.
Delta offers 255 departures from SLC on the busiest day of the week to nearly 100 destinations across the globe. The airline this year added new direct routes from SLC to Lima, Peru, and Seoul, South Korea.
Delta is not the only airline investing in U.S. cargo infrastructure. Southwest Airlines in June opened a $28 million facility in Denver that doubled its capacity, including significantly more cold-storage space. Last year, United Airlines moved into a 165,000 square-foot cargo facility near Newark International Airport in New Jersey, supplementing its on-airport terminal.
Delta generated $233 million in cargo revenue during the third quarter, a 19% increase from the same period last year. Cargo revenue was up 14% for the first nine months of 2025.
Click here for more FreightWaves/PostalMag stories by Eric Kulisch.
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