East Midlands Airport has consolidated its position as the UK’s foremost express air freight hub with a record-breaking year for the amount of cargo it handled.
The airport carried 413,664 tonnes during the 2025/6 financial year (April 2025 to March this year) – the first time since the global Covid pandemic that freight volumes have topped 400,000 tonnes.
The 12.5% increase – 46,000 tonnes up on the previous year – represents more than a third of all air cargo growth in the UK.
The pandemic supercharged East Midlands Airport’s cargo operation as it played a crucial role in the global trade network to keep goods including vital pharmaceuticals moving – growing its annual total to 448,000 tonnes. Since then, cargo totals have dipped while remaining above pre-pandemic levels – but the latest results show the airport’s recent cargo growth is bringing it close to its busiest-ever period.
Anchored by global logistics giants DHL, UPS and FedEx, the airport’s impressive cargo operation has recently seen a surge in the number of cargo airlines choosing it as their gateway to the UK market – with seven new operators joining in the last half of 2025 alone.
Airport bosses have taken action to pave the way for further growth, investing in extra stands for cargo aircraft and developing new larger gatehouses, giving cargo operators greater secure access on and off the airfield. Cargo handling firm Swissport has moved into a larger facility to meet increased demand and a new handler, YunExpress, has recently opened a new cargo facility.
Ambitious plans were also unveiled by the airport last year to develop four sites near the runway for cargo operations, unlocking more than 21,000 new jobs and a £3.9bn boost to the economy to meet an expected 54% rise in demand in the coming two decades.
Despite this growth, the number of freight aircraft movements has gone down over the same period – falling by close to 2,000 or 3.1% to just above 60,000 annual movements. This is driven by a drop in shorter flights to Europe, meaning larger aircraft are carrying more freight per flight on longer inter-continental routes.
East Midlands Airport’s Commercial Director Adam Andrews said: “We’ve had a bumper year for cargo, bringing us back towards the previously unprecedented levels achieved during the pandemic when the operation was running flat-out. It’s great that we have built up to this being our new normal and is an encouraging sign for our long-term growth plans.
“We’ve been making sure that key players in the sector are aware of our unique proposition. Our strategic central location that gets goods quickly onto the road network, coupled with specialising in cargo-only aircraft and offering 24/7 access, offers certainty for time-critical businesses. This contrasts with other UK airports which mostly carry cargo on passenger planes, leading to slower turnaround times.”