Women at the heart of East Midland Airport Growth Forum

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 31 July 2018

UPDATED: 6 August 2018

Fashion, smart phones and Formula 1 drive growth at East Midlands Airport, with almost £10 billion of goods coming from outside the European Union in it’s record year.  Baroness Sugg visited the airport to understand more about its potential and to meet business leaders to discuss how EMA could better serve them with possible new international connections.

The UK’s busiest airport for ‘pure cargo’ aircraft

Karen Smart, Managing Director of East Midlands Airport, explained her role at the UK’s largest pure cargo airport and how in the year to March it dealt with 358,477 tonnes of cargo – almost 10 per cent up on the previous year.

“By night it is the UK’s busiest airport for ‘pure cargo’ aircraft and second only to Heathrow in terms of the total amount of cargo it handles every year.

“With more demand than ever for next day deliveries, we can only expect further growth especially in the e-commerce market. We need to ensure that we stay ahead of the game by improving our facilities so that more businesses can access international markets through EMA.”

Regional Airports support the backbone of the UK’s economy

Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg visited East Midlands Airport to meet business leaders and discuss how the airport could be better served with new international connections. Baroness Sugg told industry representatives at the forum how the government was committed to helping the aviation sector be more competitive, prosperous and sustainable.

“These figures show that East Midlands Airport’s cargo performance continues to go from strength-to-strength and plays a hugely important role in boosting regional growth and investment. Our regional airports support the backbone of our economy – providing skilled local jobs and business export opportunities which open the UK up to the world.”

Spatial Globals’ Rachel Morley was acting as the industry representative for Transport and Logistics within the region, and was invited to participate in discussions on the future growth and the role East Midlands Airport within in the growing the regional economy.

“There are huge development plans surrounding East Midlands Airport, the East Midlands Gateway, HS2 developments and the potential plans for 2025 when the Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station is decommissioned. The regions businesses are perfectly positioned to take advantage of the enormous potential benefits this will bring to the local economy.

However, it’s amazing to me, when meeting local businesses, how little they know about the ongoing investment and the possible opportunities it will provide them. Once operational it will provide skilled local jobs and business export opportunities to open the East Midlands up to the world.”

 

 

 

 

 

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