JAXPORT’s Top 10 Moments of 2024

6 MIN READ

From public-private partnerships and new equipment that are upgrading terminal infrastructure to the addition of new trade lanes and cruise service, 2024 was a year of milestones for JAXPORT. These expansions and enhancements position Jacksonville’s maritime community for success in 2025 and beyond. Here’s a look back at the top 10 moments of the past year.

10. Florida legislators present JAXPORT with $23 million for container crane purchase and refurbishment

The state funding supports the purchase of a new container crane for the port’s Talleyrand Marine Terminal from Germany-based Liebherr Crane Company, as well as the refurbishment of existing cranes at the port’s terminals. The crane addition and upgrades will increase JAXPORT’s cargo handling efficiencies, allowing more cargo to move through the port. Increasing cargo volumes supports JAXPORT’s ability to create jobs and provide supply chain security for the region and state. Read more here

9. JAXPORT celebrates cruise growth and milestones

2024 marked two milestones between JAXPORT and Carnival Cruise Line.

1. JAXPORT and Carnival reached an agreement to continue Carnival cruise service from Jacksonville into 2026, with options to extend through 2030. The 2,697-passenger Carnival Elation will continue offering year-round sailing to The Bahamas from JAXPORT’s North Jacksonville Cruise Terminal. Read more here

2. Carnival Cruise Line recognized its 20^th anniversary of year-round cruising from the city by highlighting a strong partnership with JAXPORT and the three million Carnival guests who have sailed from the port. Read more here

JAXPORT also set a cruise passenger record in 2024. More than 206,700 passengers sailed from the JAXPORT Cruise Terminal in 2024, the highest in our 20+ year cruise history. The previous record was in 2018, when nearly 200,000 passengers set sail.

8. JAXPORT’s economic impact on jobs and output increases for region and state

A new economic impact study showed cargo activity through the Port of Jacksonville generates 206,927 jobs in Florida and $33 billion in economic impact for the region and state. In the Jacksonville area, 28,194 people are employed in port-dependent positions.

 “The investment in port infrastructure and the initiation of the St. Johns River Deepening Project has resulted in job growth over the 2018-2023 period,” the report concluded. “This type of investment has led to increased diversification of the markets and cargoes served by JAXPORT, in turn providing high-paying jobs in the local community and generating state and local tax revenue.” Read more here

7. JAXPORT and Puerto Rico Ports Authority hold Inaugural Ports and Partners Summit in San Juan

Leadership from JAXPORT traveled to San Juan to join the Puerto Rico Ports Authority in hosting the inaugural Puerto Rico – Jacksonville Ports and Partners Summit on the island. The summit featured discussions about best practices in a range of areas, including business continuity during hurricane season, infrastructure upgrades, grant pursuits, and sustainability.

“Puerto Rico is our longest-running trade partnership, and we are proud of the relationships we have built with our partners serving the trade,” JAXPORT CEO Eric Green said during the event. Read more here

6. Ocean Carrier ONE strengthens connections to India and Asia through Jacksonville

Shipping line Ocean Network Express (ONE) launched JAXPORT’s first direct container service with the Indian subcontinent in 2024. The carrier’s West India North America (WIN) container service began calling Jacksonville in 2024 with the arrival of the container ship ONE Modern. Read more here

ONE also announced in 2024 that it will add JAXPORT to its East Coast 2 (EC2) container service beginning in February 2025, directly connecting the port of Jacksonville with five ports in Asia. Utilizing the 47-foot shipping channel, the weekly service will utilize a fleet of 13,500 TEU (container) vessels, all operated by ONE.

“We are pleased to add Jacksonville, Florida, as an enhancement to our East Coast 2 (EC2) service,” said ONE North America. “By adding JAXPORT to our rotation, we are strengthening our connections between East Asia and North America while enhancing the options available to our customers.” Read more here

5. Enstructure to expand operations at the Talleyrand Marine Terminal

Enstructure and JAXPORT entered into a long-term, 30-year agreement for the lease and development of 79 acres of waterfront property at JAXPORT’s Talleyrand Marine Terminal. The company is a current JAXPORT tenant operating 35 acres of adjacent space at JAXPORT’s Talleyrand terminal. Combined with its current acreage, the new agreement will provide Enstructure with a total of 115 acres at the Talleyrand terminal. Read more here

4. Norwegian Cruise Line announces new passenger service to sail from Jacksonville

JAXPORT reached an agreement with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) to provide passenger cruise service from Jacksonville beginning in November 2025. The 2,394-guest capacity Norwegian Gem will homeport in Jacksonville from November to April every year through 2028, offering seasonal cruises to The Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean.

When Norwegian Gem arrives at JAXPORT, it will mark the first time NCL homeports in Jacksonville. The city is a growing drive-to cruise market, with more than 98 million consumers living within driving distance of the JAXPORT Cruise Terminal. Read more here

3. SSA Marine makes progress on $72 million terminal modernization project

Throughout much of 2024, SSA Atlantic worked on completing the second half of its $72 million project to expand and modernize the SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal (JCT). Located at JAXPORT’s Blount Island Marine Terminal, the SSA JCT project is a public-private partnership between the port and SSA Marine. The phased construction project began in 2022 and is expected to wrap up in 2025. To accommodate increased cargo volumes at the terminal, JAXPORT and SSA Atlantic are each taking steps to improve traffic flow at both the terminal’s main gates and the SSA Atlantic gate.

Once complete, the facility will be able to accommodate nearly 600,000 TEU annually, a 150% increase over its current throughput. Read more about the project here

2. Southeast Toyota Distributors reaches project milestone on new state-of-the-art auto processing facility at JAXPORT

Contractors for Southeast Toyota Distributors, the world’s largest independent distributor of Toyotas, continue to make significant progress on a new 340,000-square-foot state-of-the-art auto processing facility currently under construction at JAXPORT’s Blount Island Marine Terminal. Planned for completion in summer 2025, the $145 million public-private partnership modernizes the company’s operations. The company’s Jacksonville operations support more than 800 jobs, including processing, parts and distribution, and technical support and training. Read more here

1. JAXPORT announces enhanced global connections and new partnerships for 2025

Most of the world’s freight moves on international container shipping lines that are broken into consortiums called alliances. Two of the industry’s three alliances are going to be making changes in 2025, restructuring to form either new alliances or stand-alone services. When the dust settles, JAXPORT will have a more robust service network with the ability to reach more global ports than we have today. New and modified service routes through JAXPORT will provide expanded global connectivity and access to new and emerging markets.

Three primary changes are taking place beginning in February 2025. These include:

• Gemini Cooperation – an alliance between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd
• Emerald/E-Commerce Express service – offered by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Zim Line
• Premier Alliance, formerly known as THE Alliance, which includes Ocean Network Express (ONE), Yang Ming, and Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM)

The increased access to new and emerging markets will create new opportunities for businesses in Northeast Florida and beyond. JAXPORT’s strategic investments in infrastructure, combined with these new service offerings, position the port for continued growth and success in the years to come. Read more here