Heathrow Airport’s cargo volumes grew by 1.2 per cent in August as 140,738 tonnes of goods made their way through the UK hub to locations across the globe.
Cargo growth was led by the US, with over 50,000 metric tonnes travelling to and from the States. Others regions showing growth in August included Asia Pacific with volumes up 2.6 per cent to 44,408 tonnes.
However, volumes to Africa fell 7.5 per cent to 6,764 tonnes, to the Middle East by 4.9 per cent to 21,066 tonnes and to the European Union by 0.5 per cent to 8,241 tonnes.
In the first eight months of the year from January to August, tonnage is up 1.5 per cent to 1,122,428 tonnes and on a rolling 12-month basis tonnage is up 4.3 per cent to 1,715,280 tonnes.
In August, Heathrow welcomed its first flight arriving directly from the Chinese megacity of Chongqing operated by Tianjin Airlines (pictured above). The route is Heathrow’s 10th direct Chinese connection. This thrice weekly service will be able to transport up to 3,744 tonnes of exports annually.
Heathrow chief executive officer, John Holland-Kaye said: “August has been another stellar month for Heathrow with passenger numbers and freight volumes continuing to reach unprecedented heights. It’s brilliant to see consumers and cargo making their way through the UK’s largest port to these new Chinese destinations.
“With expansion we’ll be able to connect more points of the UK to global growth and we’re looking forward to working with the Heathrow Skills Taskforce to evaluate how we can best maximise the job opportunities that Britain’s new runway will bring.”
