Centurion Air Cargo is facing lawsuits that allege it is past due on $12.9 million in fuel payments for its fleet.
The airline, which is based in an 800,000-square-foot facility at Miami International Airport (KMIA), and its Skylease affiliate were hit with 11 lawsuits in late July by fuel supplier Chemoil Corp. Each lawsuit represents a different plane – nine McDonnell Douglas MD-11Fs and two Boeing 747-400Fs.
FLASHBACK: Centurion Air Cargo to expand, create 200 jobs
Officials at Centurion didn't respond to several requests for comment. Centurion delivers products to Latin America, including flowers, fish, electronics, car parts and other manufactured goods.
It started in April when Chemoil filed mechanic liens against the 11 aircraft citing the unpaid fuel bills. The liens would prevent Centurion from selling the planes without paying the fuel supplier.
The lawsuits escalated the situation with Chemoil filing lis pendens, which would send the planes to auction to repay the debt unless Centurion can resolve the matter.
The bills cited in the liens range from $345,477 to $2.2 million per plane. While this sounds like a lot, it would be crazy to lose an aircraft worth over $100 million on such a small debt.
Fort Lauderdale attorney Bruce David Green, who represents Chemoil in the lawsuit, didn't return a call seeking comment.
Despite the apparent financial troubles, Centurion is current with lease payments at Miami International Airport, according to airport spokesperson Greg Chin. He said Centurion's co-leases its space at MIA with a Maryland-based company named Aero Miami III.
However, between January and May, Centurion's cargo revenue, which is measured in tons of cargo transported for each mile traveled, dropped by 30.2 percent compared to the same time last year, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
In 2013, Centurion filed a lawsuit in Miami-Dade Circuit Court against Aero Miami III alleging that it was improperly charging the airline $50,000 a month in management fees as part of a sublease, plus a $2 million fee for deferred rent. The contested lawsuit remains outstanding.
-Source: http://www.bizjournals.com
November 2011: Centurion Air Cargo to expand, create 200 jobs
Centurion Air Cargo is expanding its cargo center at Miami International Airport, creating 200 jobs.
The new 800,000-square-foot cargo center will house the new Centurion headquarters, an international shipping and receiving hub and an exclusive ramp with space to park up to eight wide-body aircraft. Centurion, a subsidiary of Aerolog Group, is one of the largest carriers of perishable goods in the Americas.
“Operating at Miami International Airport for more than 20 years, I have witnessed the airport’s unrivaled growth, and I am excited to build upon Centurion’s leading market position here at MIA through this new state-of-the-art cargo complex,” Aerolog Group Chairman Alfonso Rey said in a news release.
The new cargo center, slated to open in 2012, brings $123 million in capital investment to South Florida and will add about 200 jobs.
Aeroterm, a developer and manager of on-airport facilities, and Bristol Group, an investment and development firm, have partnered with Aerolog Group to develop and fund the center.
“The expansion and continuing success of Centurion Air Cargo and Aerolog Group emphasize the importance of the aviation industry and the diversification of Miami-Dade County’s economy,” Beacon Council President and CEO Frank R. Nero said in a statement. The Beacon Council, Miami-Dade’s official economic development arm, assisted Centurion with a local incentive.
The county has considered awarding Centurion with an incentive since 2008, when it was determined that, if the company could create and maintain 200 jobs over six years, it would earn $1 million under a Targeted Jobs Incentive Fund application.
- Source: http://www.bizjournals.com
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