San Francisco International Airport is investing more than $300 million (€275 million) in a new automated air cargo terminal designed to increase capacity, improve efficiency and strengthen the airport's position as a leading cargo gateway on the US West Coast, with completion targeted for spring 2028 and operations expected to begin later that year.

According to Aviation Business News, German cargo handling technology provider Lödige Industries has been selected to equip the 310,000 sqft two-storey facility with customised automated storage, retrieval and high-throughput cargo handling systems. The terminal will serve airlines, freight forwarders and logistics providers with faster and more scalable cargo handling capabilities.

At the heart of the facility will be three Elevating Transfer Vehicles operating on a rail-guided system, providing fully automated storage and retrieval of unit load devices. The ETVs are capable of moving ULDs vertically and horizontally simultaneously, increasing operational flexibility, boosting throughput and reducing turnaround times.

Samuel Chui, project manager at SFO, said the investment reflected the airport's commitment to providing modern, efficient cargo facilities for its airline partners and the regional economy.

Jonathan Hardy, managing director North America at Lödige Industries, said the automated systems were engineered for maximum efficiency and scalability. "Growing e-commerce and global trade are driving an increase in air cargo volumes, prompting key US cargo hubs to expand and modernise," he said, adding that the SFO project marked another milestone in Lödige's commitment to innovation in North America's air cargo industry, building on current projects at New York JFK and Toronto Pearson International Airport.

The investment arrives as air cargo volumes on transpacific routes continue to recover and grow, with SFO serving as a primary gateway for freight flows between the United States and Asia. E-commerce fulfilment demand in particular has placed sustained pressure on cargo handling infrastructure at major US gateway airports, accelerating investment in automation as operators seek to increase throughput without proportional increases in physical footprint or labour requirements.

Automated cargo handling systems have become an increasingly standard feature of new terminal developments at high-volume airports, with ETV-based ULD storage and retrieval reducing the need for manual handling while improving asset utilisation and dwell time management across complex multi-airline cargo operations.

Read the full terminal investment details and Lödige Industries' automation specification in the full report.