Cargo First, the dedicated cargo division of Bournemouth Airport, has announced the completion and commissioning of major new cargo handling facilities, representing a step-change in the airport’s freight capability.
The project, part of an ongoing major investment programme across the Bournemouth Airport estate by owners Regional & City Airports, has delivered three brand new ICAO Code E aircraft stands, a much larger Customs-bonded cargo operations centre, and a programme of landside works to improve access and truck servicing areas. The growing cargo operation now employs more than 80 staff.
The investment effectively doubles the airport’s cargo infrastructure and consolidates freight operations in a purpose-built zone on the northern side of the airfield, providing significant scope for future growth.
The new location, directly alongside the Airport’s 200-acre business park, also provides new opportunities for logistics organisations to benefit from co-location of landside warehousing.
Steve Gill, Managing Director of Bournemouth Airport, said: “The completion of these new facilities marks a significant milestone for Bournemouth Airport and Cargo First. They not only provide the infrastructure to support our fast-growing cargo business but also reinforce our position as a highly attractive alternative to congested London hubs. With record volumes already passing through the airport last year, this investment underlines our ambitions as the UK’s newest import/export air hub.”
Key features of the new facilities include:
- Airside works: three ICAO Code E parking stands for aircraft up to Airbus A340 size, 15,450m² of new concrete pavement, 7,000 tonnes of tarmac resurfacing, and associated airside works including airside roads, taxiway resurfacing and a new vehicle check point.
- Customs-bonded cargo centre: a 3,000m² Customs-bonded warehouse (double the size of the previous facility) with a 450m² powered cargo transit system, personnel and cargo screening, office accommodation, airside and landside welfare facilities, and in-flight catering storage.
- Landside access: 4,000m² new paved area delivered within a brownfield site, incorporating improved access, new truck parking bays and an enlarged landside service yard area.
Cargo First handled a record 31,000 tonnes of freight in the 12 months to March 2025, ranking Bournemouth eighth among the UK’s airfreight airports – a 70% increase on the prior year. Growth has been driven by booming e-commerce imports and growing exports, with high-value UK-manufactured goods becoming an increasingly important part of the mix.
Iain Edwards, Chief Operating Officer at European Cargo, one of Bournemouth’s principal freight operators, said: “The new facilities are a real boost to our business. Bournemouth Airport offers us the flexibility and speed that are critical in air cargo, and the expansion means we can look forward to handling even more volumes efficiently. It’s a huge advantage to operate away from the congestion of the London hubs, while still being able to deliver consignments into the London market faster than if we flew there directly.”
Located just 90 minutes from London’s freight corridor, Cargo First has established itself as a disruptor in the UK cargo market, offering streamlined handling and proven faster onward delivery than the capital’s airports.
Bournemouth Airport is undergoing a major investment by owners Regional & City Airports, spanning its cargo and passenger facilities. The airport recently received planning consent for a significant expansion of its passenger terminal and a new transport interchange.
