The United States is one of the world's largest commercial aviation markets, home to some of the busiest airports in the world. Gateways like Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and Denver International Airport have evolved into vital links connecting the global airline industry, coming to be known as common layover spots among the flying public. 

When considering major hub airports in the United States, few might think of Memphis International Airport (MEM). This facility, which is only the second busiest in Tennessee based on passenger volumes, might not boast an impressive flight schedule from passenger airlines. However, across the airfield from Memphis’ passenger terminal, FedEx has turned the airport into a critical cargo superhub. In fact, between the hours of 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM, Memphis becomes the busiest airport in the world.

Memphis is a Cargo Powerhouse 

Memphis is the most important hub for FedEx Express, the airline subsidiary of logistics firm FedEx. The airline operates a robust fleet of cargo aircraft to deliver goods across the world. Applying the hub and spoke model to its cargo aircraft operations, FedEx operates a vast majority of its flights to and from centralized "hub airports", allowing for rapid transfers that route cargo efficiently to their final destinations. Given the size of FedEx’s Memphis hub, offloading packages from their flights marks just the beginning of their unique journey. 

Every night, Memphis Airport springs to life as FedEx Express flights arrive in two tightly choreographed waves: day sort and night sort. Upon arrival at the airline’s Memphis World Hub, aircraft taxi to one of almost 200 parking stands across the FedEx facility, where crews are waiting to offload shipping containers stored onboard. Within minutes, this cargo is emptied onto conveyor belts and routed through FedEx’s massive sorting facility. There are nine entrances to the sorting system at the company’s World Hub, with each inbound package passing through one as they are unloaded from the aircraft. 

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