The joy of six – East Midlands Airport signs up new cargo operator

The agreement will see SF Express fly cargo four times a week from Ezhou Huahu International Airport, a logistics hub based in China. 

Both the airport and SF Express are located in the centre of their communities and serve three cities each. For East Midlands Airport this is Nottingham, Derby and Leicester in the UK, and for SF Express this is Ezhou, Huanggang and Huangshi in Hubei, China. 

The inaugural flight was taken using a chartered One Air aircraft which is already in operation. 

This news followed the recent announcement of Etihad Cargo joining the list, which saw it commence twice weekly flights. 

Central Airlines, Atlas Air, Ethiopian Cargo, Saudia Cargo and Etihad Cargo have all begun regular flights between Asia and the UAE and the UK via East Midlands Airport.  

East Midlands Airport’s Commercial Director Adam Andrews said: “East Midlands Airport has established itself as the foremost cargo airport in the UK and these new airlines show that we have really put ourselves on the radar of the global cargo community.” 

Alexandra Herdman, Senior Policy Manager at Logistics UK said: “Air freight plays a critical role in the UK economy. UK airports handle 2.6 million tonnes of freight every year, and £95.6 billion of Gross Value Added across all sectors is dependent on air freight exports. 

“More localised airports such as East Midlands are demonstrating their vital importance in the partnerships they are forging with cargo operators, and the movement of UK goods they are facilitating. 

“These partnerships set an example in how they can help contribute towards growth of the UK economy.”