The airport in Dorset has gone from almost no cargo in April 2020 to 20,000 tonnes of throughput up to the end of March 2022, putting Bournemouth on the verge of becoming one of the UK’s top 10 cargo airports.
It has helped exports to the US with services operated by European Cargo and provided relief during the pandemic by handling shipments of PPE and test kits imported to the UK.
Andrew Bell, CEO of Regional & City Airports, which owns Bournemouth Airport, says: “Cargo First is well connected to London by road and we can have consignments in the market faster than through hub airports. Additionally, our unique One Team approach means our customers don’t have to deal with multiple vendors, giving them greater simplicity, efficiency, and speed-to-market.”
Regional & City Airports says Bournemouth is an attractive cargo airport because of 24/7 operations and space to expand, uncongested airspace and plenty of slots, and its tariffs are lower than larger hubs.
Steve Gill, Managing Director of Bournemouth Airport says: “We are excited to be putting energy and investment into our cargo operation, especially considering we’ve come from nowhere to be knocking on the door of the top 10 cargo airports in the country. We’ve already added nearly 100 jobs, and there is potential to create hundreds more over next five years. It is an exceptional achievement, and we look forward to seeing our excellent service enjoyed by many more customers.”