A new cargo aircraft was welcomed to East Midlands Airport (EMA) this week as the airport grows its capacity and British cargo airline One Air boosts its fleet operating from the airport.
EMA is the UK’s number one air fright hub, supporting cargo-only aircraft carrying goods around the world.
One Air moved its operation from Heathrow Airport in April and is now based at EMA, running regular flights between Hong Kong and the UK. One Air’s move to EMA provided favourable availability for flight slots including night flying and fewer restrictions for all-cargo aircraft.
The latest aircraft brings its total fleet at EMA to three 747s – with the new arrival boasting a nose door as well as side door for loading and unloading. The original Boeing-built freighter also has a higher payload capacity of up to 124,000 kgs. It follows the second 747-400 which arrived at EMA in December to support One Air’s growing programme between China/Hong Kong and Europe. This represents rapid growth from a company which ran its first flights in July 2023 after receiving its AOC certification from the UK Civil Aviation Authority
One Air’s expansion at EMA is an example of the airport’s capacity to grow what is already an impressive and unrivalled cargo operation. A recent report concluded EMA is uniquely placed to accommodate an anticipated increase in cargo flights, thanks to a number of key attributes, including its strategic central location, its expertise in facilitating cargo-only aircraft and fewer night-time restrictions than other airports.
EMA’s Managing Director Steve Griffiths said: “We’re delighted to welcome One Air’s latest addition to its fleet, showing that we have a winning formula at East Midlands Airport to support the growth in air cargo and global e-commerce.
“We have some unique attributes which place us as the UK’s number one air freight hub, and we’re looking at more opportunities which will help us to continue driving UK trade and bring new jobs to the region.”
One Air’s Chief Operating Officer, Chris Hope, said: "We are really pleased to welcome this new addition to our fleet, which is the result of many months of preparatory work by the team at One Air and our partner organisations.
“The support from East Midlands Airport has been critical, allowing us to achieve significant growth for both the airline and the airport while maintaining efficiency with fewer operating restrictions."
