Air Freight is one of the quickest ways to get an item delivered across international borders. With fast turnaround, priority services and door-to-door delivery available it can take less time than you might think to get an item from the UK to its foreign destination. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that 2.3 million tonnes of air freight were handled by airports in the UK during 2010, and that’s not even including passengers’ baggage or international mail.
Heathrow alone saw 1,484,351 tonnes of freight pass through its doors in 2011, closely followed by East Midlands International who handled 264,595 tonnes. Poor Southend Airport only transported 6 tonnes in 2011, and increase of three tonnes in comparison to 2010. In 2012 alone, BAA flights transported 1,696,193 tonnes of freight on planes in the UK.
London isn’t the biggest centre for air freight departures or arrivals either, Belfast, Manchester and East Midlands Airports all see their fair share of international air freight coming through their doors. This would be due to the centres of distribution around the UK, rather than expecting everything to be sent via the capital.
The planes air freight is sent on can be either a scheduled flight or chartered. Quite a few air freight companies are able to charter an entire plane for your needs if you wish it, but the majority of cargo does tend to go via scheduled flights unless urgent or particularly large.
Whatever your air freight needs, head on over to Delivery Quote Compare’s air freight page for great low costs based on your individual needs. Simply fill out our online form and reputable companies will contact you with a price, getting your air freight off to a flying start.