East Midlands Airport Reveals Ambitious Plan to Maximize Cargo Capabilities

East Midlands Airport has rolled out an exciting plan that could generate over 20,000 new jobs by opening up land near its runway for progress.

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This growth strategy aims to maximize East Midlands Airport’s role as the UK’s leading air cargo hub, anticipating a staggering 54% increase in demand for its exceptional cargo services over the next two decades.

the proclamation was made on May 21 at UKREiiF, a major real estate investment and infrastructure event in Leeds that drew around 16,000 participants from various sectors including property and politics.

Two of the proposed sites have been designated as tax sites under the East Midlands Freeport initiative, with East Midlands Airport serving as its primary port. This status provides businesses with attractive tax benefits and streamlined customs procedures.

Three of these locations will feature direct runway access via new taxiways and space for parking an additional 18 aircraft.The plans also include a whopping 122,000 square meters of warehouse space along with up to 51,000 square meters dedicated to landside yard space and about 1,000 parking spots.

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this initiative builds on findings from York Aviation/MDS Transmodal’s recent study commissioned by East Midlands Airport. The research indicates notable potential for express freight growth at this location—projecting volumes will rise from approximately 370,000 tonnes now to around 491,000 tonnes by 2030 and further to about 583,000 tonnes by2043—a remarkable increase of over half!

The airport’s unique advantages contribute significantly to this forecast:

• A central location close to national roadways and rail systems means that nearly all of the UK population is within a four-hour truck drive; additionally, most large-scale warehouses are located within just over two hours’ travel time.
• Unlike many other airports that impose strict night flying regulations limiting operations during late hours—EMA enjoys fewer restrictions allowing it to operate around-the-clock without prioritizing passenger flights over cargo ones.
• The airport focuses specifically on dedicated cargo planes rather than relying on passenger aircraft holds like Heathrow does—this specialization enhances efficiency in handling freight operations.
• A single runway design allows swift transitions between aircraft landing/takeoff phases directly linked with cargo hubs ensuring speedy transfers from plane-to-truck logistics!

The analysis suggests that increased activity at EMA could led to £1.8 billion in added Gross Value Added (GVA) along with creating approximately12,600 jobs by2030—and even more impressive figures reaching £3.9 billion GVA plus21k jobs by2043! This expansion not only benefits EMA but also addresses unmet needs across UK’s air freight sector!

Steve Griffiths—the Managing Director at EMA—stated: “we’re already one of Britain’s key airports supporting express freight which fuels advanced manufacturing among other high-value industries! Our facility connects vast regions throughout our country directly into global markets.”

“Our analysis reveals tremendous growth potential ahead; thus we’ve pinpointed development opportunities aimed towards enhancing our existing infrastructure! By doing so we can solidify our crucial role within UK trade while unlocking thousands more job opportunities alongside billions worth economic value!”

The Mayor Claire Ward emphasized during her speech today how vital these connections are saying: “East Midlands Airport links us globally—we must leverage those ties effectively if we want lasting economic growth benefiting local communities.”

“The expansion plan aligns perfectly with this vision—it represents not just regional progress but national importance too! With projections indicating up-to£1.8 billion GVA boost plus12k new roles available soon after implementation—it’s clear there exists immense prospect here!”