Manchester and East Midlands Airports target Far Eastern routes
08.09.07
Manchester and East Midlands Airports - both part of the Manchester Airports Group - are exhibiting at Airfreight Asia 2007, a first foray into the Far East for the group. Cargo is very important to both airports, and both are well connected to major motorway networks, but it's hard to imagine two less similar business plans.
Manchester is primarily a passenger airport with around 800 flights a day, only 12 of which are pure cargo. Around 55% of its freight is carried in the belly holds of passenger aircraft. However, it has attracted five new cargo carriers in the last six months, including Great Wall Airlines from Shanghai (four flights weekly); Jet 8 from Singapore (two flights weekly); FedEx (four flights weekly); Aeroflot (one weekly flight); and Air China (three weekly flights).
Michael O'Connor, from the airport said: 'The emphasis is on Manchester's growing links with the Far East which makes it all the more appropriate that we should be here in Hong Kong, publicising the advantages of our airports to airlines and operators in this part of the world.'
In contrast to Manchester, East Midlands has around 50 freight flights each night and almost all its cargo throughput is carried on dedicated freighters. DHL's UK air freight hub, with 35 flights a night, is based at the airport. It also performs a similar function for the Royal Mail's nightly services around the UK with first class post. Both UPS and TNT also use the airport on a regular basis.
But it is not content to rest on its laurels, and has joined Manchester in exhibiting at the exhibition in Hong Kong, in order to try to pick up more new business.
Add to: del.icio.us | Digg it | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
To book manchester airport hotels or Manchester airport parking at the lowest price, click on these links to two great Manchester airport parking and Manchester airport hotels price comparison pages.
