IAG Cargo has opened its new cargo handling facility, ‘New Premia’ at London Heathrow, which will double its capacity for time and temperature-sensitive consignments, with new IT systems and systems integration to regulate freight movements and a temperature-controlled Constant Climate Quality Centre.

The semi-automated facility of over 10,000m2 will handle more than double the amount of premium shipments, with 29 dedicated temperature-controlled chambers, in a Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certified facility, with a WDA licence issued by the UK Medicines & Healthcare Regulatory Agency. 

Metro’s airfreight teams in Birmingham and Heathrow work closely with the centre’s experts, with shipments loaded onto dedicated airside docks and served by a specialist fleet of refrigerated trucks in order to protect foodstuff, pharmaceutical and life-science products, from the cargo terminal to loading onto aircraft.

Constant Climate is IAG Cargo’s state-of-the-art cold chain product, specially designed for precision management of time and temperature sensitive products, with a dedicated team who handle bookings, advise on packaging solutions and ensure shipments meet the strictest of regulatory standards.

The ‘New Premia’ facility has been designed to handle more cargo as efficiently as possible, with 11 new land-side doors to speed up cargo collection and drop off. 

The temperature-controlled building includes a state-of-the-art Constant Climate Quality Centre (CCQC), with 29 dedicated cool cells and temperature facilities available from +2°C to +8°C (COL), +15°C to +25°C (CRT) and -20°C (FRO) ensuring sensitive shipments are held in a temperature-controlled environment at all times.

Operationally, four large ‘transfer vehicles’ pass through rapid-rise doors allowing cargo to be moved autonomously through the facility and into storage in advance of collection and delivery to the aircraft for exports and similarly the process works in reverse for imports.

Grand Liddell, Metro Managing Director, said. “We welcome the opening of IAG Cargo’s ‘New Premia’ and the addition of critical cargo handling capability at London Heathrow. The efficiencies it offers our time and temperature-sensitive shipments are significant and the benefits for our customers and operational teams in optimising the safe handling and movement of cargo could be huge.”

While our Heathrow team continue to handle increasing temperature-sensitive volumes, we use regional airports – and particularly our Birmingham hub – when it will benefit our customers, ensuring that strict handing requirements and timelines are met.

We find solutions for every critical shipment. EMAIL Elliot Carlile to discuss your situation and requirements, and we will present the best resolutions for your consignments to be in the right place at the right time, and at the right price.

The improved landing and takeoff cycle times (LTO) offered by regional airports can save time and money for air cargo operators, while helping them significantly reduce their Carbon dioxide (Co2) and Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions.

Independent studies in the US, which can be extrapolated to the UK, suggest that aircraft operating into and out of large passenger hubs take an average of one hour, 46 minutes of time during the landing and take-off cycle. In contrast, regional airports, with their un-congested airspace and highly efficient approaches can allow airlines to be wheels down and engines off in as little as five minutes, with an LTO cycle completed in just over 16 minutes.   

The vision, planning, and execution of cargo and freighter friendly regional airports can translate not only to a positive operational impact for the supply chain, but can reduce carbon emissions, create a positive financial impact and provide significant time savings.   

The study revealed that a typical Boeing 747 freighter operator running four times per week into a regional airport throughout the year would save a staggering £6.4 million in annual costs. It would also emit 6,000 fewer metric tons in Co2, 15,000 fewer metric tons of NOx and burn 1,800 metric tons less Jet A-1 as a result of the reduction in flight cycle time.   

When available and appropriate, the use of regional airports is an immediate step, with immediate cost and emission savings.

The UK Department of Transport identified the value that regional airports bring for freight movements in last year’s Future Freight Plan, which highlighted the role of Birmingham Airport in hosting critical nightly Royal Mail operations and how the airport is diversifying their operations to facilitate more trade by expanding their cargo operation.

Demand for eCommerce continues to grow, and with more than 80% of UK air freight moving through just three airports, regional airports are critical in providing operational flexibility, especially when it comes to express delivery of high value and time critical items.

We monitor market capacity and route developments to identify opportunities to use regional airports – and particularly our Birmingham hub – when it will benefit our customers, ensuring that expectations and timelines are met.

We find solutions for every critical shipment, regardless of situation, geography and deadline. 

EMAIL Elliot Carlile to discuss your situation and potential resolutions to get your products to the right place at the right time. At the right price.

The air cargo industry took a massive step towards post-Covid normality in January when China reopened for international travel, but just a few months later, the surge in air passenger services from China may drive air freight rates down further, as belly capacity grows amid weak demand.

Chinese airports, carriers and ground handling companies retained staff during the country’s extended lockdown period and had been readying operations for a swift return of pre-COVID services, ahead of January’s lockdown lifting.

Less than 20% of China's wide-body fleet of about 500 planes was still in storage in the early weeks of 2023 and most planes had remained active on domestic routes, ready and available to quickly resume international operations. This accessible capacity has seen weekly China-Heathrow flights increasing ten-fold, from five to 54 over the past six months and more carriers planning to increase their China - Heathrow frequencies in the coming months.

London Heathrow airport is not alone in seeing flights from China increasing with Manchester announcing a return to pre-pandemic frequencies of services from Hainan Airlines (four a week) and despite the massive increases in belly-hold freight capacity that all these passenger services are bringing to the market, airlines are continuing to invest in full-freighter aircraft.

While the increases in scheduled flights to and from China are an important post-COVID milestone, all these new passenger and freighter services create over-capacity and weaken airfreight rates.

Bournemouth Airport announced last week that it will handle three A340 freighters a week from China, while the Belgian regional airport, Liege, will handle regular scheduled flights to China’s Nancheng Changbei Airport, three to four times a week on a 747-400F. A major Chinese eCommerce player has just introduced daily cargo flights into East Midlands, but with no indication of cargo for the return leg.

Reports in The Loadstar suggest that the East Midlands development is synonymous with the Chinese state’s willingness to subsidise export legs, which means non-Chinese carriers will have to not only compete with this influx of capacity, but also the reality that Chinese airlines can drop their rates even further, because the subsidy provides an extra revenue stream.

Metro work very closely with our customers to ensure that the greenest solutions are achieved within air freight. A tough ask but one we have risen to by partnering with Air France/ KLM in a fuel sustainability programme.

We work closely with our network and carrier partners in China and the UK to monitor market capacity and identify opportunities to use regional airports and particularly our Birmingham International Hub, that will benefit our customers, with some of the most cost-effective services available in the market.

There are solutions for every critical shipment, please EMAIL Elliot Carlile for insights and advice.