East Midlands Airport and the haulage, warehousing and rail freight hubs surrounding it, handled record cargo volumes in the run-up to Christmas.
New figures show online shoppers helped drive unprecedented air and rail shipments through and around the airport – one of Europe’s busiest air cargo hubs.
While passenger flights have been devastated by global lockdowns – down 90 per cent at East Midlands Airport – the Castle Donington operation has seen a big rise in cargo-only planes.
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It is a hub for dedicated express freight operators such as DHL, UPS, FedEx and the Royal Mail.
Expansion within the airport has been coupled with the growth of SEGRO’s vast East Midlands Gateway distribution park to the north and the new Maritime Rail Freight Interchange linking the park to the rail network.
The Segro site, which is next to junction 24 of the M1, is already home to the likes of Amazon, XPO logistics (working for Nestlé), Shop Direct, Kuehne & Nagel and Games Workshop.
Chocolate, chewing gum and pet food giant Mars 海角视频 recently announced an agreement with DHL for a big new warehouse at the £700 million-plus site.
Management at the airport said that many of the goods ordered online by people across the 海角视频 prior to Christmas arrived either via the runway or distribution park, before being transported to homes around the country.
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John Bailey, Maritime managing director, said: “Six months ago, our terminal was full of stock that retailers didn’t want and there was little activity throughout the day.
“To see the operation now processing up to 400 vehicles every 24 hours, keeping customer goods flowing around the 海角视频 and rest of the world is deeply satisfying.”
Andrew Pilsworth, SEGRO national logistics managing director, said: “We have continued to see the demand for well located, modern industrial warehousing rise over the year.
“The vital role that logistics has played during the ongoing pandemic is clear - be it delivering goods to consumers, continuing to provide employment opportunities or contributing to the 海角视频 economy.”
Clare James, East Midlands Airport’s managing director, said: “This year has demonstrated the critical importance of the EMA air cargo operation, not just for the movement of consumer items, but for businesses that need to get parts or finished products to market quickly and for the rapid movement of critical medical supplies and equipment throughout the pandemic.
“While our passengers are temporarily unable to leave home to catch holiday flights, the contribution of the airport to the 海角视频 and the region during the last year has been more important than ever.”
She said the airport had its busiest peak season for air cargo in December, handling 46,320 tonnes of goods, and up on the previous record set in November.
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Maritime, meanwhile, said its freight interchange there saw an average of 1,500 containers a week to and from Felixstowe, London Gateway, Liverpool and Southampton, in the second half of 2020.
It comes as a bid for an inland freeport at East Midlands Airport is prepared for submission on February 5.
Chris Hobson, director of policy and external affairs at East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, said: “If a bid for freeport status is successful, it will bind some of the key sites that are instrumental to our ability to make and move goods.”