East Midlands Airport (EMA) hasreported that its total freight includingtransit cargo was 300,291 tonnes in2006, up 4.7 percent year-on-year – thefirst time ever that EMA’s throughputhas exceeded 300,000 tonnes in a year.Bill Blanchard, cargo developmentmanager of East Midlands Airport,Nottingham, said it was also anotherexceptional year for cargo charters withnearly 500 ad-hoc movements including164 by AN-124 and the second visitto EMA of the AN-225.

In terms of pure freight, EMA saidit handled 273,149 tonnes in 2006, up2.5 percent year-on-year, while transitfreight last year was up 95.8 percentto 14,291 tonnes. Belly-hold freight in2006 was also up 21.3 percent to 245tonnes, compared with 2005 figures,while pure mail was up 1.7 percent to26,860 tonnes last year, versus the sameperiod in 2005.