What Happened
East Midlands Airport handled more than 400,000 tonnes of cargo last year, the first time it has passed that mark since Covid, Air Cargo Week reported on 16 September 2026. Its cargo operation grew 12.5% over the year and accounted for more than a third of UK air cargo growth.
The airport now supports around 100 freight flights a day and £13bn of exports, according to the report. The Aviation Minister hailed the importance of the site, which Air Cargo Week describes as the UK’s largest dedicated air cargo hub.
Why East Midlands Airport’s Cargo Growth Matters for UK Shippers
For UK shippers, the main point is capacity that does not depend on passenger schedules. Heathrow handles more cargo in total, but most of it travels in the bellyholds of passenger aircraft, so space follows passenger routes and demand. A dedicated hub running around 100 freight flights a day offers a separate pool of capacity, with much of the activity overnight to meet next-day delivery windows. Exporters in Bristol and the South West can reach it via the M5 and M42, which makes it a practical alternative when space out of Heathrow is tight.
The growth also reflects the airport’s express profile. East Midlands is home to DHL’s main UK hub, so a large share of its tonnage is parcels and time-critical consignments rather than heavy general cargo. That mix served it well during Covid, when passenger bellyhold capacity largely disappeared and freighter operations carried much of the UK’s air cargo. Passing 400,000 tonnes again indicates that volumes at the airport have recovered from the slowdown in express and e-commerce shipments that weighed on air cargo demand in 2022 and 2023.
Shippers should watch whether ministerial support turns into investment in road access, cargo sheds and border inspection capacity. The airport forms part of the East Midlands Freeport, where goods held on designated customs sites can be stored with import duty suspended until they enter UK free circulation. For importers using air freight forwarding, the choice between Heathrow, Stansted and East Midlands should rest on flight frequency from origin, cut-off times, handling times and how quickly consignments clear customs after arrival.
East Midlands Accounts for Over a Third of UK Cargo Growth
East Midlands Airport’s return above 400,000 tonnes, with 12.5% growth and more than a third of UK air cargo growth, confirms it as a major source of freighter capacity outside Heathrow. UK shippers moving express or time-critical cargo have a well-used alternative that runs on freight schedules rather than passenger ones.
Market Impact on UK Air Cargo Capacity
More freighter capacity at a single UK hub gives exporters and importers another option on busy lanes, particularly for express parcels and time-critical spare parts. Heathrow and East Midlands serve largely different markets, so direct competition for general cargo remains limited. Growth at East Midlands can still ease pressure on bellyhold space at peak periods such as the run-up to Christmas. Rates are set lane by lane, and the reported figures do not point to any immediate change in UK air freight pricing.
The £13bn of exports supported by the airport is the figure most relevant to UK manufacturers, because it shows how much outbound trade already depends on a regional hub outside London. That strengthens the case for continued investment in sheds, road links and border facilities at the site. Growth also brings handling pressure. Busier sheds can lengthen the time between landing and release at peak, so importers moving critical shipments late in the year should build extra time into their planning.
Reported by the Plexus Freight team, from Air Cargo Week.
Source: https://aircargoweek.com/aviation-minister-hails-importance-of-uks-largest-dedicated-air-cargo-hub/
