New aircraft is another sign of East Midlands Airport’s cargo success
Another sign of East Midlands Airport’s growing cargo operation appeared in the skies this week, when a brand new Boeing 777F aircraft arrived for the first time yesterday (September 1).
The new aircraft is joining the fleet of One Air, the British cargo airline which shifted its operations from Heathrow to East Midlands Airport last year.
Since then it has grown its fleet of freighter aircraft to three 747s – with the new arrival taking the total to four, with another 777F set to be delivered fresh from Boeing’s production line by the end of the year.
Its arrival comes as One Air prepares to launch scheduled services with its 747F, operating four weekly flights between East Midlands and Hong Kong.
One Air’s Chief Operating Officer Chris Hope has praised the efficiency of the East Midlands Airport operation and its strategic central location for supporting the airline’s ongoing success.
The arrival of the new 777F follows four new airlines starting to operate from East Midlands since May, with Central Airlines, Saudia Cargo, Ethiopian Cargo and Atlas Airlines all operating routes between the UK and China. Their arrival has contributed to a surge in cargo volumes handled at the airport, up 17.4% over the last three months on last year.
The airport has unveiled bold plans to develop four key plots near its runway for cargo operations, to meet an anticipated 54% growth in demand for
East Midlands Airport’s Managing Director Steve Griffiths said: “We’re pleased that One Air is thriving at East Midlands Airport and is investing in new aircraft to grow and modernise its fleet.
“This is part of the ongoing success story of our unrivalled cargo operation which we have plans in place to develop and grow, since we are perfectly placed to meet the growing demand in air cargo in the coming years.”
David Tattersall, Chief Technical Officer at One Air, said: “Since our first commercial flight between Asia and Europe two years ago, One Air has gained considerable support from customers in both markets as well as the Middle East.
"Welcoming a 777F into our fleet to join our existing Boeing 747-400 Freighters opens new and exciting opportunities as we continue our growth.”