Cargo First reports record cargo volume growth in 2025

Bournemouth Airport’s cargo division, Cargo First, reported its best-ever year for cargo volumes, handling 31,000 tonnes of freight in the 12 months ending March 2025, compared to 18,000 tonnes the previous year.  This growth places Bournemouth Airport eighth in the UK for airfreight and is driven by rising e-commerce imports and a doubling of export volumes in early 2025, particularly involving high-value UK-manufactured goods.

Cargo First’s expansion has led to an increase in staff, with the workforce expected to reach about 80 employees by summer 2025, alongside further recruitment planned over the coming year. The growth in cargo operations also supports additional jobs in related airport services such as refuelling, airfield services, fire, and air traffic control.

This expansion is supported by a £60 million investment by Regional & City Airports, Bournemouth Airport’s owners, including plans for a new 35,000 square foot cargo facility that will double customs-bonded warehouse capacity and add new airside facilities for cargo aircraft later this year.

Stephen Gill, Managing Director of Bournemouth Airport, said, “We are incredibly proud of what the Cargo First team has achieved. To record our best-ever year is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved. With our new cargo facility on the horizon and volumes growing, we remain focused on Bournemouth Airport becoming the UK’s primary air gateway for e-commerce imports and exports.”

Cargo First was launched in 2022 as Bournemouth Airport’s in-house airfreight handling business and has positioned itself as an alternative UK hub for freight customers looking to avoid congested London airports. Situated about 90 minutes from West London’s freight corridor, Cargo First can process goods faster from aircraft to highway than the major London hubs, speeding up delivery to distribution centres.

Looking ahead, Cargo First aims to diversify within time-sensitive cargo sectors such as express mail, pharmaceuticals, and perishables. Both Cargo First and Bournemouth Airport operate under the privately owned Regional and City Airports group, which offers a seamless service to cargo customers.