East Midlands Airport (EMA) has announced a 17.4% year-on-year increase in cargo volumes, growing faster than Heathrow over the same period – and this recent and significant growth in air freight entering and leaving the site is being driven by several factors.
That’s according to Matthew Ware (pictured, above), CEO at e-commerce logistics specialists Mark 3 International, who argues that the news was not surprising.
He says: “The first is EMA’s prudent positioning of the airport as the best option for cargo in and out of the UK, and the strategic investment to back that up. When compared with Heathrow, which has lagged behind in developing a coherent cargo strategy, and has an ageing cargo infrastructure, it is unsurprising that EMA’s growth is so relatively strong.”
Whilst growth at London’s Heathrow Airport has slowed in comparison to EMA, it still processes almost three quarters of all UK air cargo, with an annual value exceeding £200 billion.
Over 80% of that cargo travels in the holds of passenger aircraft. The rest goes in dedicated cargo-only flights. This makes Heathrow an integral part of the UK’s global trading network and a key part of the national infrastructure.
Ware continued: “EMA’s central positioning in the Midlands makes it an increasingly attractive option for servicing north and central regions of the UK, not just the south of England.
“Investment and positioning however aren’t the only factors driving this change – geopolitical forces are also at play.
“Much of these imports will be replacing volume moving on commercial flights into other airports – often driven by price volatilities – while others will reflect China’s broader pivot away from the US into European markets in light of recent tariff moves. Further services from Atlas Air, Ethiopian Cargo, and Saudia Cargo will also make a sizeable impact on these figures.”
Internationally, airports such as Dallas (DFW) and Brussels (BRU) have enjoyed marked successes after investing in modern cargo operations, including dedicated facilities for airlines, handlers, and crucially logistics companies. With additional, in addition to investment in advanced software systems, these airports are now reaping the rewards.
According to Ware, the growth in activity at EMA at Heathrow’s expense has highlighted the need for a comprehensive UK-wide airport cargo strategy. He said: “A comprehensive UK-wide airport cargo strategy is vital for several reasons. It would support economic growth to help meet government export targets, enhance global competitiveness, ensure supply chain resilience, promote environmental sustainability, and leverage technology advancements.
“The lack of a comprehensive, coherent national strategy has created problems at Heathrow; for example, there are very few cargo-only slots, and no ad hoc slots are being provided for cargo operators, which means they’re having to move cargo shipments to other UK airports.
“Regional airports can play a major part in the UK’s air cargo operations, but it is crucial to ensure Heathrow develops to compete with its global rivals.”
