Air One’s first scheduled freighter lands at East Midlands
The Hong Kong–EMA route will run four times a week, carrying e-commerce and electronics with nationwide UK distribution.
Air One has celebrated the launch of its first-ever scheduled freighter service with the arrival of a Boeing 747-400F at East Midlands Airport (EMA) from Hong Kong. Operated by its affiliated airline One Air, the inaugural flight landed at 05:45 on 4 September, ahead of schedule, carrying a full load of 109,484 kilos across 39 pallets.
The new service will operate four times a week and is designed for time-sensitive shipments such as e-commerce and electronics. Departing late in the evening from Hong Kong, the flights arrive in the UK the next morning. From EMA, cargo is distributed across the country through Swissport’s nationwide road feeder services, ensuring fast connections to London Heathrow, Manchester, and Birmingham.
Since January 2020, Air One has operated more than 3,000 Boeing 747 charter freighter flights from Hong Kong to 35 destinations worldwide, moving over 300 million kilos of cargo. The company has also set up a permanent Hong Kong office, led by Director Far East Spencer AuYeung, as part of its commitment to the market.
Peter Scholten, Chief Commercial Officer of Air One, said the move marks an important step for the company. “Launching scheduled services is a significant step in Air One’s development and adds a third pillar to our service portfolio alongside wet lease and charter operations. We are proud that our first scheduled flight departed with a full payload, and grateful for the strong customer support from day one.”
He added that Hong Kong will remain central to Air One’s network strategy, with plans to increase flights from the city and add more routes by 2026.
East Midlands Airport, the UK’s prime cargo airport and a leading freighter hub, offers Air One 24/7 operations and a central location with fast nationwide links, making it an ideal base for the new service.
