Cargo First opens new cargo facilities at Bournemouth Airport
The upgraded cargo centre includes a 3,000m² Customs-bonded warehouse with a 450m² powered cargo transit system and expanded welfare and office areas.;
Cargo First, the cargo division of Bournemouth Airport, has completed and commissioned new cargo handling facilities at the airport in Bournemouth, UK, on 14 October 2025. The facilities include three new ICAO Code E aircraft stands, a larger Customs-bonded cargo centre, and improved truck access and servicing areas. The project, part of Regional & City Airports’ investment programme, aims to double Bournemouth’s cargo infrastructure and support future growth.
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.”
Cargo First’s new zone is located on the northern side of the airfield, near the airport’s 200-acre business park, enabling logistics companies to co-locate warehousing facilities. The upgraded cargo centre includes a 3,000m² Customs-bonded warehouse with a 450m² powered cargo transit system and expanded welfare and office areas.
Iain Edwards, Chief Operating Officer at European Cargo, 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.”
Cargo First handled a record 31,000 tonnes of freight in the 12 months to March 2025, marking a 70 percent rise over the previous year and placing Bournemouth eighth among UK airfreight airports. The growth has been fuelled by e-commerce imports and increasing exports of high-value UK goods