National flag carrier Korean Air was selected as cargo operator of the year for 2022 for addressing global cargo capacity shortages with new gateways and freighters, Air Transport World announced Friday.

Korean Air has “continued to go from strength to strength, remaining at the forefront of addressing the global cargo capacity shortages resulting from the pandemic,” noted ATW, a publication for the global aviation industry.

Korean Air opened two gateways in the United States to alleviate supply chain issues, in Rickenbacker International Airport in Ohio and Chicago-Rockford International Airport in Illinois.

In the meantime, the aviation firm converted passenger aircraft into freighters, and introduced iCargo, a cloud-based air cargo management system that standardizes cargo service.

To expand its freight portfolio, Korean Air secured a cold chain system at Incheon Airport suitable for medical products and fresh produce, and was awarded certification for pharmaceutical product transport from the IATA Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics.

As a result of the transition, Korean Air set a new quarterly record for revenue in its cargo business in the fourth quarter of 2021. Korean Air reaped 2.2 trillion won ($1.8 billion) in revenue from freight transportation from just October to December, while the company generated 1.46 trillion won in full-year operating profit, up 515 percent year-over-year.

Korean Air was one of the 10 winners of the 48th ATW Awards, along with Alaska Airlines, Wideroe, IndiGo and Royal Jordanian, among others. The awards ceremony will be presented on June 21 in Doha, Qatar. The air carrier was also named ATW Airline of the Year last year.

(consnow@heraldcorp.com)