ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara was joined by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Sen. Dick Durbin (D), Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R), and Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D) to recognize growth at the Chicago Rockford International Airport.

The Airports Council International named RFD as the fast-growing cargo airport in the world for 2018. The airport handled roughly 250,000 metric tons of cargo that year, a record breaking 50% increase from the previous year.

Part of that growth comes from Amazon Air. It currently operates out of more than 20 airports across the United States, and is expanding its gateway operation in Rockford in 2019. The facility will enable increased capacity and package sorting.

Pritzker said Monday’s congratulatory visit to RFD isn’t his first and won’t be his last.

The Governor says the local schools are a big help to Rockford, feeding the economic growth machine by giving students the skills they need to jump right into the workforce after graduation.

“These kinds of programs, that the opportunity to grow Amazon and UPS, and bring international companies to Rockford, this is what we’re supposed to be doing for the state of Illinois,” the governor said. “This airport is a fundamental, foundational [sic] part of job growth for our state.”