Bowling Green Today

Last week, President Biden signed into law an amendment by U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) that designates the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Port of Entry. This amendment, part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3935), aims to streamline the processing of wildlife and wildlife-derived products at CVG.

“Adding Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport as a Designated Port is a strategic move that enhances efficiency, reduces costs, creates jobs for Kentucky, and aligns it with the demands of global commerce,” said Dr. Paul. “My amendment is a win-win, not just for our Commonwealth but for the national economy.”

The legislation has garnered support from several stakeholders:

“For several years, Senator Paul has worked with us and DHL to grow cargo at CVG, and that has most recently manifested in the FAA reauthorization bill passed last week by the U.S. Senate and today in the House of Representatives,” said Candace McGraw, CEO of CVG. “I am grateful to Senator Paul for championing an amendment to designate CVG as a port of entry for fish and wildlife products, enabling more growth for our region and for the Commonwealth.”

“On behalf of DHL, we are thrilled to see Senator Paul’s amendment included in the FAA reauthorization,” said Andrew Williams, CEO for DHL Express Americas. “CVG airport is the only major express delivery hub in the U.S. that was not considered a Port of Entry by the Fish and Wildlife Service. With this designation, we will see speedier processing times for customers, more efficient transportation, and a fundamentally safer process for inspection of regulated goods.”

“Atlas thanks Senator Paul for his commitment to improving the efficiency and competitiveness of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport,” said Jamie Handley, Vice President, Systems Operations at Atlas Air Worldwide. “Senator Paul’s contributions to the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 will help ensure that northern Kentucky continues to be a dominant air cargo hub for years to come.”

Despite being ranked as the sixth busiest cargo airport in the United States in 2022—handling over eight billion pounds of landed cargo—CVG has faced significant inefficiencies due to its lack of designation as a USFWS Port of Entry. Couriers previously had to transport wildlife goods long distances for inspection before returning them to CVG.

Dr. Paul's amendment addresses these logistical challenges by allowing direct processing at CVG, thus reducing costs and facilitating faster movement through one of America's busiest cargo hubs.

Additionally, this law includes a provision permitting USFWS to accept donations from private entities. This allows stakeholders in aviation and trade industries to contribute towards necessary changes required for including CVG among designated ports.

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