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Puerto Rico’s air cargo sector is showing positive momentum in 2025, with outbound capacity growing by 2% year-to-date (January to mid-April), marking a reversal from earlier negative trends. International air exports have surged by 20% in the first two months compared to 2024, while imports have shown strong growth at 17%. UPS has maintained its expansion with over 100 monthly flights to key destinations including Louisville, Miami, and Jacksonville, though FedEx’s capacity has declined by 16% year-to-date.

Puerto Rico’s growing air cargo industry was a key topic at the Supply Chain and Logistics Summit, where Governor Jenniffer González Colón reaffirmed her administration’s commitment to advancing the sector. She highlighted initiatives such as creating the island’s first Air Cargo Task Force, expanding Aguadilla Airport’s infrastructure, and collaborating with the U.S. Department of Transportation to boost transshipment opportunities. With strong government, industry, and academic collaboration, Puerto Rico is set to remain a leading air cargo hub.

The Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DEDC) announced major cold storage investments for Puerto Rico Life Sciences Air Cargo Community members, with Prime Air and César Castillo receiving finding for cold chain management improvements. This strategic funding strengthens the island’s pharmaceutical supply chain infrastructure to support growing global demand for locally manufactured life sciences products.

Delta Air Lines has launched a new daily wide-body service between San Juan and Atlanta using a Boeing 767-300 aircraft, expanding cargo capacity for Puerto Rico’s thriving bioscience sector. This enhanced connection to Delta’s global hub in Atlanta provides the island’s pharmaceutical manufacturers with more reliable transportation options for their critical temperature-sensitive products.

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) has been formally commended by IATA as a hub for certified pharma handling. The airport’s cargo community now meets CEIV Pharma standards, setting a benchmark for reliability and compliance in pharmaceutical logistics.

Seven members of Puerto Rico’s Life Sciences Air Cargo Community have achieved IATA’s CEIV Pharma certification, recognizing excellence in cold chain operations in the region. The certification process was made possible by an 80% subsidy from the Department of Economic Development and Commerce of Puerto Rico (DEDC), and facilitated by the research center INDUNIV. Now, an additional four members have committed to the initiative – Magic Transport, Drogeria Betances, DSV, The Air Group – to further enhance the island’s pharmaceutical transportation capabilities.

Prime Air Corp is certified under CEIV Pharma, a program developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

At the Community’s meeting in February, held at Luis Muños Marin International Airport (SJU), delegates from over 40 companies across the Community heard from a series of speakers.

ETH Cargo has become the first member of the Community to achieve a CEIV Pharma certification, established by IATA to serve as a standard for transporting temperature-controlled and time-sensitive cargo.

During Rotate’s presentation at the Community’s meeting in February, Rotate forecasted a year-on-year 24 per cent increase in life sciences exports for the next three years.

Community member, Aerostar, has invested a total of a total of USD4.6 million in improving the conditions of the road connecting cargo facilities across Luis Muñoz Marín Airport (SJU).

The Puerto Rico Life Sciences Air Cargo Community has launched a new customised market intelligence dashboard and searchable directories of warehouse facilities and truckers with track and trace capabilities

The International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) certification is a vital opportunity for San Juan Airport to be recognized globally for its remarkable quality in the handling of

We have embarked on a survey of warehousing facilities and truckers with truck and trace facilities in order to build an accurate picture of what Puerto Rico can provide for Life Sciences and build searchable directories to help connect companies

What are the complexities of distribution and logistics for life science shipments to and from the island? How do life science companies set high standards of quality, safety, and security?

The DDEC, along with a group of members of the Puerto Rico Air Cargo Community, held a roundtable discussion to announce the above initiatives on September 22nd, 2023.

Copa Airlines Cargo, a member of The Star Alliance and a subsidiary of Copa Holdings, is offering direct flights connecting San Juan to Panama as of September 2023.

More than 30 companies from across the supply chain have thrown their support behind the newly formed Puerto Rico Life Sciences Air Cargo Community, which aims to drive quality at the number one bioscience manufacturing hub in the U.S. by export volume.

Puerto Rico, the number one bioscience manufacturing hub in the U.S. by export volume, officially launched a Government-backed Life Sciences Air Cargo Logistics Community in May