Atlas Air has become the third freighter airline in recent weeks to launch regular flights between Asia Pacific and East Midlands Airport (EMA) in the UK.
The Atlas service will operate five times per week from Hangzhou in China throughout the summer, utilising one of the airline’s Boeing 747 freighter aircraft.
The Atlas service is the third freighter operation the airport has added in recent weeks. Earlier this week, Central Airlines began operating twice-weekly Boeing 777 freighter flights from Tianjin in China to EMA on behalf of Chinese logistics express firm YunExpress.
Meanwhile, Ethiopian Cargo recently added twice weekly 777 freighter flights from Hong Kong to the UK airport, also a summer service.
”These new operators bolster the airport’s position as the number one UK airport for express air freight and demonstrate it has the capacity and capability to grow its operations,” the airport said in a press release.
”The airport is currently undertaking redesigns of its cargo aprons where aircraft stand, increasing the number and size of aircraft these areas can accommodate.”
East Midlands Airport’s head of aviation, David Craig, said: “Landing the deal with YunExpress and Central Airlines is momentous as they are the first China-based operators at EMA.
”Atlas Air’s new operation demonstrates we are ready, willing and able to adapt to changes in the global supply chain. Meanwhile, we know Ethiopian Cargo’s move here is also for a longer-term solution, which we are ready and able to accommodate.”