Heathrow keeps flying with 4.4% cargo growth in February

Heathrow Airport’s cargo volumes continue to surge with 4.4 per cent growth in February to 127,000 tonnes. It says emerging markets drove the cargo growth, with Brazil up 10 per cent, India by five per cent and China by 4.2 per cent, while North America grew seven per cent and the Middle East by eight […]

Another record breaking day at Heathrow for American Airlines Cargo

American Airlines Cargo keeps breaking records at London Heathrow Airport, handling a record near 1.1 million pounds (489,849 kilogrammes) of freight in a single day. It transported over 600,000 pounds of exports and almost 475,000 pounds of imports with shipments including fresh salmon, vegetables and pharmaceuticals, and heavy metal industrial forgings. Imports from the US […]

Virgin Atlantic to increase UK – US services for 2017

Virgin Atlantic Cargo is to provide more UK – US services in 2017 with daily London – Seattle flights and more routes from Manchester. It will start London Heathrow – Seattle Tacoma flights on 26 March followed by three Manchester – San Francisco services a week from 28 March and a twice-weekly service to Boston […]

Revenue fall of 6.6% for IAG Cargo in 2016

IAG Cargo’s commercial revenue was €1022 million over the period from 1 January 1 to 31 December, 2016, a decrease of 6.6 per cent on 2015. Adjusting the prior year’s figures to reflect a directly comparable operation, commercial revenue fell by eight per cent versus last year. IAG says the competitive trading environment of 2015 has continued […]

UK must adapt or miss out on vital trade opportunities

While the UK waits for a third runway at Heathrow Airport, Manchester Airports Group (MAG) says it is its duty to help the UK grow and thrive internationally, head of cargo and business aviation Conan Busby (pictured) tells Air Cargo Week (ACW). The UK government announced its backing for a third runway at Heathrow Airport […]

DSA growing its cargo offering in the north of the UK

Tonnage trebled at Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) in 2016 to 9,522 tonnes and the northern located UK gateway is aiming to grow further. The operator at DSA is Peel Airports and cargo manager, Dayle Hauxwell says it was line with planned growth, but it has exceeded expectations in the diversity of carriers and business welcomed […]

Velta relocates UK airfreight office

A strong start to the year for the Velta group has been cemented with the relocation of the airfreight and courier team to a new and larger premises. Velta International Heathrow completed the move at the beginning of February and is now located just to the south of Heathrow Airport in Ashford Middlesex. The larger […]

Jon Conway named as DG of the ASA

Jon Conway – who recently left dnata – has been appointed director general of the Airport Services Association (ASA) and will take up his new position from 1 March, 2017. A familiar figure in the ground handling world, Conway began his aviation career in 1973, when he joined BOAC Cargo (which later became British Airways Cargo) based at Heathrow Airport. In […]

Heathrow ready for Valentine’s Day with 570 tonnes of rose imports

Heathrow Airport is expecting to import 570 tonnes of roses, triple the average month to make sure supplies are well stocked ahead of Valentine’s Day. Red roses have been a Valentine’s Day staple since the 17th century, and 88 per cent of fresh cut flowers come from countries along the equator. Kenyan roses accounted for […]

Heathrow’s strong cargo growth continues into 2017

Heathrow Airport is continuing to grow strongly in 2017 with cargo volumes rising 4.4 per cent to 124,101 tonnes. Between February 2016 and January 2017, cargo volumes were up 3.1 per cent to 1.54 million tonnes, while a record 5.74 million passengers passed through the airport in January, year-on-year growth of 4.2 per cent. Heathrow […]

Heathrow passes important milestone to approve third runway

Expansion of Heathrow Airport has passed the first milestone with the government publishing the draft National Policy Statement, setting out what the airport needs to do for a third runway to be approved. The government will begin a 16-week public consultation, due to close on 25 May 2017, ahead of a vote in Parliament this […]

Emerging markets boost Heathrow’s cargo volumes

Heathrow Airport’s cargo volumes have grown three per cent to 1.54 million tonnes in 2016 driven by trade with emerging market destinations. In December, cargo was up 5.1 per cent to 133,641 tonnes driven by growth in emerging markets, with Brazil up 18.6 per cent, India by 12.1 per cent and China by 8.3 per […]

Heathrow expects record breaking December as it gears up for Christmas

With final preparations for the festive season in full swing, Heathrow Airport is predicting it will handle over 130,000 tonnes of cargo in December. The UK’s busiest air cargo port is forecasting it will handle 132,000 tonnes in December, a December record, and has released figures on the seasonal imports and exports it handled in […]

11 arrested in Heathrow drug smuggling investigation

National Crime Agency (NCA) officers have arrested 11 people in connection with a major investigation into airport workers suspected of smuggling drugs through Heathrow Airport. 10 men and one woman aged between 24 and 60, including three airport baggage handlers, were detained following a series of raids by 125 NCA investigators assisted by officers from […]

Emerging markets fuel 4.4% growth in November at Heathrow

Heathrow Airport handled 138,050 tonnes in November – a 4.4 per cent year-on-year (YOY) rise on the same month last year. In the first 11 months of 2016 it has handled 1,407,561 tonnes – a YOY increase of 2.8 per cent on the same period in 2015. On a rolling 12-month basis it has processed […]

ACI Europe: European freight jumps 8.7% in October

Freight traffic at European airports has jumped by 8.7 per cent in October, the best monthly performance for over five years, according to figures from Airports Council International (ACI) Europe. The October figure was the best monthly performance since May 2011, with European Union (EU) airports registering an average increase of seven per cent while […]

Heathrow contracts seven companies to design expansion plans

Seven companies have been contracted by Heathrow Airport to be part of design plans for the airport’s “sustainable expansion”. The UK Government backed the building of a third runway at Heathrow in October, rather than a second runway at Gatwick Airport. MPs will vote in the Houses of Parliament in about 12 months time on the […]

ABC keeps on growing as Russia stabilises

AirBridgeCargo (ABC) Airlines has continued record-breaking growth, while Russian airport volumes have stabilised following the slump caused by economic sanctions, Volga-Dnepr Group senior vice president, sales & marketing, Robert van de Weg tells Air Cargo Week (ACW) staff writer James Muir. Cargo volumes at ABC, part of the Volga-Dnepr Group, grew 29 per cent in […]

Gatwick now offering a ‘complimentary’ scheme to Heathrow

Gatwick Airport chief executive, Stewart Wingate said the gateway is now offering the UK Government a “complementary scheme” to Heathrow Airport, which was backed for a third runway last month. Speaking at the Airport Operators Association annual conference in London on 21 November, Wingate explained he is still confident its expansion plans will get the green light: […]

Cathay Pacific flight diverted due to fears of cargo hold fire

A Cathay Pacific flight from London to Hong Kong had to divert to Novosibirsk over fears of a fire in the cargo hold. The airline says flight number CX250 from Heathrow Airport to Hong Kong International Airport diverted to Novosibirsk International Airport in Russia around six hours into the flight after a signal indicated a […]

Brexit and Heathrow runway decision hotly debated at AOA conference

The UK’s exit from the European Union (EU) and the Government’s decision to back Heathrow Airport for a third runway, dominated discussions at the Airport Operators Association (AOA) annual conference today. Delegates at the Hilton London Metropole heard from a range of speakers, including the UK Government’s Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling. During a […]

Strong growth at Heathrow, Gatwick plans more Chinese services

Heathrow Airport’s cargo volumes have continued strong growth in October while Gatwick Airport’s double-digit recovery continues as it plans more Chinese routes. Heathrow’s volumes shot up 6.7 per cent to 141,444 tonnes with particularly strong growth from markets in Latin America and East Asia. It says Mexico was up 28 per cent, followed by China […]

ACI Europe: Freight makes “surprising surge” in September

Freight traffic at European airports rebounded at the strongest rate since May 2011, with a “surprising surge” in September of 7.9 per cent, Airports Council International (ACI) Europe says. Freight grew 4.1 per cent in the third quarter, helped by the September surge, and is up 2.6 per cent on a year-to-date basis. The four […]

ABC to operate freighter services to Heathrow via Moscow

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) is to operate a twice-weekly Boeing 747 Freighter service to connect Heathrow Airport with its international network via its Moscow hub, starting 3 November. ABC will become the hub’s second all-cargo carrier and will use slots that are not in high demand with passenger carriers. Heathrow was given backing last month to build a third […]

VIDEO: The Future For London Cargo

Heathrow Airport was given approval by the UK Government on Tuesday for a third runway, which is set to significantly boost its cargo operations and business. Azura Productions spoke to the hub’s head of cargo, Nick Platts to discuss the future for London cargo and the latest on plans at Heathrow. Heathrow is exhibiting at […]

IATA and ACI Europe welcome Heathrow expansion decision

Airports Council International (ACI) Europe and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have both cautiously welcomed the UK government’s decision to approve a third runway at Heathrow Airport. The UK government announced its approval for the third runway almost 14 months after the Airports Commission, which it set up in 2012, published its report recommending […]

Gatwick chief “disappointed” over Heathrow runway green light

Gatwick Airport chief executive Stewart Wingate says the gateway is “disappointed” that the UK Government has given the nod to Heathrow Airport to build a new runway. The Sussex airport was seeking permission for a second runway, and says it questions whether Heathrow will be able to deliver a third runway and is ready to step […]

Forwarders gives cautious welcome to Heathrow expansion

The trade association that represents the UK’s freight forwarding and logistics businesses has given a cautious welcome to today’s news that the government has approved a third runway at Heathrow. British International Freight Association (BIFA) director general, Robert Keen says: “Today’s news appears to be the beginning of the end of years of procrastination over […]

Heathrow hails third runway go ahead by UK Government

Heathrow Airport has hailed the news that the UK Government has approved its plans for a third runway and says it is the “only option”. A spokesperson from the UK hub, which is the busiest port for exports and handled more than 1.5 million tonnes of cargo a year says: “We welcome the news that […]

Heathrow runway decision welcomed by FTA

The decision to increase capacity at Heathrow Airport is the “right choice” for the UK economy, the freight industry and the nation, according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA). The UK Government approved expansion of a third runway today and the FTA says it is essential for UK importers and exporters who rely on the […]