UK airport expansion set to boost airfreight
2025 was a significant year for airfreight and IATA data shows cargo demand grew 5.5% year on year despite a challenging trading environment.
At the same time, the UK saw a wave of major airport expansion announcements, including a second runway at Gatwick Airport, expansion plans at Luton and confirmation of a third runway at Heathrow.
Taken together, these developments signal a pivotal moment for the future of UK air cargo and its role in strengthening national supply chain resilience.
Airfreight remains a vital artery of the UK’s supply chain, driving growth across the whole economy.
£95.6bn of the UK’s Gross Value Added is dependent on airfreight exports from UK airports and much of the value lies not in the volume of goods transported, but in their nature: high value, time-critical items such as pharmaceuticals, specialist components, machinery and financial documentation.
Heathrow is the UK’s busiest port by value, handling over £215bn worth of goods every year, and the recent announcement that funding has been approved to begin the planning application for the third runway marks a significant milestone.
Logistics UK has long argued that increasing capacity is essential if the UK is to maintain its global competitiveness, improve import and export resilience, and open new routes for British businesses.
Increasing freight capacity is vital to enable the industry to drive growth and ensure that UK plc can reach new global markets.
One of the key issues for capacity is the night flights regime, which was rolled over for a further three years from October 2025 to October 2028 while we await an Aviation Night Noise Effects (ANNE) study.
Logistics UK also argues that a further report on the positive impacts of air freight should also form part of the review of night flights.
Gatwick’s expansion, meanwhile, will bring its standby runway into regular use and as it is currently Europe’s busiest single runway airport, this development promises immediate and practical gains.
It will increase passenger flights and therefore has the opportunity to boost bellyhold cargo capacity without the long lead times associated with building aviation infrastructure from scratch.
Yet, for all the momentum, the UK still faces challenges in delivering major aviation projects.
The planning application for Heathrow’s third runway alone is expected to cost hundreds of millions of pounds and there is still significant red tape to navigate, including CAA approvals and planning reforms before any construction begins.
Complex regulation, lengthy approvals and inconsistent policy direction have historically slowed progress and the third runway project will be a good test of the government’s infrastructure strategy.
It will become clear whether there really is a long-term strategic view of infrastructure and a genuine commitment to end the stop-start processes that has stalled developments in the past.
Momentum
For the sector to keep growing in 2026 and beyond, planning reform is essential. The economic importance of air freight needs to be formally recognised, with priorities set within regional and national development strategies.
Airfreight also needs to be considered as part of a wider integrated logistics network, not a standalone activity, ensuring infrastructure investment is directed where it will have the greatest impact.
While the south east airports dominate the national picture, the region is stifled by limited capacity and airfreight growth is increasingly visible across other regions.
East Midlands Airport, home to one of the UK’s key express air freight hubs, saw a 17.4% increase in volumes between May and July 2025 compared to the same period the previous year.
The airport also announced a longer-term cargo growth vision for the airport that will include 122,000m2 of warehouse space, new taxiways and stands for up to 18 more aircraft.
The plans anticipate a 54% growth in express freight cargo volumes over the next 20 years and, according to the airport, could support more than 20,000 new jobs and an uplift of almost £4bn for the economy.
This demonstrates the potential for economic growth and shows that investment in regional aviation infrastructure is not just desirable but necessary if the UK is to spread economic opportunity more evenly and support export led growth.
Improved airport capacity has a knock-on effect for every other transport mode. Stronger connectivity between air, road, rail and maritime freight is what ultimately enables supply chains to become more efficient, more resilient, and better able to withstand disruption.
Airports are gateways to global opportunity. Their value lies not only in the freight they move, but in the investment, jobs and trade they unlock.
By reforming the planning system, enabling expansion, and ensuring that nationally significant projects are delivered at pace, the UK can build an airfreight network that does not just grow but thrives.
With demand rising and industry readiness clear, now is the moment to commit to the infrastructure that will keep the UK trading for decades to come.
