The express air freight hub has seen volumes surge over the past three months, bucking market trends.
East Midlands Airport handled more than 103,000 tonnes of cargo between May and July, up 17.4% on the same period in 2024.
Volumes were up 19% year-on-year last month, 24% in June, and 9.7% in May.
The growth comes amid a range of geopolitical issues influencing global trade flows and has been driven in part by the arrival of four new operators running routes between China and the UK. The airlines have been attracted by the flexibility of East Midlands’ 24/7 operation and its strategic location at the heart of the UK.
Central Airlines began operating a twice-weekly service in May on behalf of Chinese logistics firm YunExpress. It is set to increase this to five times a week in the coming months. It was closely followed by US-based Atlas Air, Ethiopian Cargo, and Saudia Cargo.
British freight operator One Air also switched its UK base for China–UK flights from Heathrow to East Midlands a year ago, citing the central location of the airport and its efficient operation as key factors. Its Chief Operations Officer, Chris Hope, has stated that it’s quicker to get goods offloaded from East Midlands to its warehouse near Heathrow than when it flew into Heathrow.
One Air has announced that from next month it is venturing into scheduled services, opening four flights a week connecting Europe with the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions, from East Midlands via Liège in Belgium and on to Dubai and Hong Kong. It also has plans to introduce Boeing 777s to its fleet of 747s.
East Midlands is home to the main UK hubs of DHL, UPS, and FedEx, and handled 375,000 tonnes of freight worth £37bn in 2024/25. It specialises in dedicated freighter aircraft – giving operators the certainty of flight slots. Industry data indicates belly-hold volumes across the country have remained broadly flat year-on-year, while East Midlands’ totals have surged significantly.
To respond to extra cargo activity and facilitate further growth in the medium term, the airport has recently reconfigured its cargo aprons so that out of 27 cargo stands, 12 can now take wide-bodied aircraft, up from seven previously. East Midlands is in an advantageous position given its available runway capacity, plans to increase logistics space, and landing fees that are a fraction of those at Heathrow.
MAG has also launched a cargo growth vision for East Midlands, with four runway-side plots available to be redeveloped for future operations. That will include 122,000m² of warehouse space, new taxiways, and stands for up to 18 more aircraft. The plans anticipate a 54% growth in express freight cargo volumes over the next 20 years and could support more than 20,000 new jobs and an uplift of almost £4bn for the economy.
The airport’s freight boost comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a partnership between parent company MAG – which also owns Manchester Airport and London Stansted Airport – and global logistics property giant Prologis. The deal will see a new logistics and advanced manufacturing park brought forward for development, helping unlock £1bn of investment as part of the East Midlands Freeport, for which the airport is the principal port.
East Midlands Airport’s Managing Director, Steve Griffiths, said: “As an island trading nation, the UK relies on strong connectivity to all key markets of the world.
“We know businesses trading internationally want to get their goods in and out of the country seamlessly, and East Midlands Airport has long played a vital role, forming the backbone of express freight that powers the growth of advanced manufacturing and other high-value industries.
“Our recent success in attracting new airlines and growing our cargo volumes points to the appeal of our unrivalled cargo operation and strategic location at the heart of the UK. The new carriers represent a further boost to businesses trading with one of the world’s most important economies.
“This underlines the importance of aviation as a key enabler for the Government’s new Industrial and Trade Strategies, and as a source of jobs and wider economic activity.”
East Midlands Airport’s Head of Aviation, David Craig, said: “We’re pleased to see growing cargo volumes as we welcome more operators to the airport. We are getting the message out loud and clear that East Midlands is the best choice for cargo operators for a whole range of reasons, from our strategic central location to the ease of operation here.
“We are backing that up by increasing the number of wide-bodied cargo aircraft we can accommodate, as well as setting out some ambitious plans for our longer-term growth. Right now, it seems the only way is up for East Midlands cargo.”