Bournemouth Airport’s dedicated cargo division, Cargo First, has reported a record year, handling 31,000 tonnes of freight in the 12 months to March 2025 – up from 18,000 tonnes the previous year.

The milestone ranks Bournemouth eighth among UK airfreight airports.

The surge was driven by rising e-commerce imports and a doubling of UK export volumes in early 2025, particularly high-value manufactured goods.

As operations grow, Cargo First expects to employ around 80 staff by the summer, with more jobs added across airport services.

Growth is set to continue with a new 35,000 sq ft cargo facility planned as part of a £60 million airport investment. This will approximately double the operation’s Customs-bonded warehouse capacity and forms part of a significant development which will also deliver new airside facilities purpose-built for handling cargo aircraft this year.

Launched in 2022, Cargo First has quickly positioned Bournemouth as a faster, less congested alternative to London’s major freight hubs.

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.”

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