Pittsburgh International Airport's World Class Cargo Infrastructure Supports Global Operations

Brian Miklos has seen a lot of items come off FedEx aircraft at Pittsburgh International Airport. Hockey sticks could be evidence of a new player’s arrival. He knows that prom season is just around the corner when he sees the volume of dresses go up. And it’s nearing Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day when flowers and candy start showing up in large volumes.

“We don’t know what’s in the packages, but the packaging tells us a story and sometimes the data and information we get really give us a glimpse behind the scenes,” said Miklos, senior manager of ramp operations at the FedEx Pittsburgh Ramp facility. He’s been part of the FedEx team for 30 years this December.

Over the years, Miklos has tracked packages ranging from engagement rings to Steelers playoff tickets. But it’s the medical shipments that are most impactful.

“We have a significant medical community that relies on FedEx every single day. We focus on prioritizing their shipments because they often have a specific shelf life. These are lifesaving equipment and supplies that customers depend on. We’ll often receive alerts indicating that certain medical equipment is needed for surgery that particular day, and we’ll identify and expedite it to make sure that surgery happens,” said Miklos.

The Pittsburgh region boasts a robust healthcare industry. UPMC and Highmark Health are two of the largest employers with 129,000 people in their workforce. And with over 54 hospitals and 1,000+ doctors’ offices and outpatient sites among just the two of them, along with dozens of others in the region, there is a substantial need.

Miklos said he’s proud of the important part that FedEx played in connecting the world as we all navigated the pandemic.

“Our collaboration with the medical community didn’t start with COVID, but during that time, we were shipping pallets of ventilators across the world. That’s impactful.”