Cargo numbers take off despite fall in flights

An increase in larger capacity aircraft has seen the amount of freight carried to and from East Midlands Airport rise sharply – despite a fall in the number of aircraft movements.

New statistics released by airport bosses shows that, since the start of the new financial year in April, the airport has seen a fall of more than 1,300 freight aircraft movements while recording an overall rise in cargo of 44,280 tonnes.

There were 18,400 freight aircraft movements at the airport across the past ten months – a fall of 7% or on average 133 fewer per month than in prior years – while 345,800 tonnes of cargo of cargo was carried, up 15% on the previous year.

The airport says the figures correspond to an increase in the number of operators using newer, larger Boeing 777 aircraft, reducing the amount of flights in and out of the airport.

An increase in inter-continental flights to Asia and the US and a drop in shorter flights to Europe also means larger aircraft carrying more freight per flight operating on these routes, airport bosses say.

East Midlands Airport’s Managing Director Steve Griffiths said the larger aircraft being introduced to operators fleets were also quieter than the older models they were replacing.

“This is a trend we expect to continue as operators invest in modernising their fleets and increasingly focus on long haul global services from East Midlands,” he said.

East Midlands, already the largest cargo airport in the UK, is eyeing up an expansion of its cargo operation, with four key airfield plots earmarked for development to help satisfy what it says is growing demand.

Stand capacity for cargo aircraft was doubled last year, with the number of cargo handlers and security checkpoints onto the airfield also increased in anticipation of more cargo activity.