British exports through Heathrow are growing with the volume of cargo flying from the airport rising by 12% in April and with a 27% increase in Latin America and 19% in South Asia.
While traffic to these destinations is growing at least twice as fast as volumes to Europe (+11%), North America remains Britain’s most important export market from Heathrow, recording 14% growth in cargo in April.
Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye reported that China’s economic powerhouse of Qingdao in Shandong is set to be connected to the UK airport later this summer after Beijing Capital Airlines confirmed it would begin services.
The route will provide nearly 4000t of new cargo space for British exports to a fast-growing market in China, he said.
“Britain’s exports outside the EU are thriving and with Heathrow expansion opening up to 40 new long-haul trading links, the scale of the opportunity across the globe is tremendous,” Mr Holland-Kaye went on.
He confirmed that Heathrow was working around the clock to deliver the new runway and “secure the country’s future as a global trading powerhouse”.
Mr Holland-Kaye said that communities across Britain are putting forward their ideas to host one of Heathrow’s four new logistics hubs.
These hubs will, he said, play a vital role in making Heathrow’s expansion programme more affordable and environmentally sustainable, as well as creating jobs across the country as the airport looks to increase off-site construction.
