The new aircraft will fly on a regular basis on the Manchester-to-Hong Kong route and can carry more than 130 tonnes of cargo.
“We are delighted to see Cathay Pacific upgrading its Manchester service to the B747-8F,” Graeme Ferguson, commercial director for cargo at Manchester Airports Group, said. “This aircraft offers greater capacity and capability, and complements MAG’s commitment to encourage sustainable and more environmentally-friendly aircraft operations. Cathay Pacific has been a long-standing and very important cargo customer to Manchester Airport, and we look forward to the benefits this brand new aircraft will bring to Cathay Pacific and its UK cargo customers.”
Manchester Airport is the third largest airport in the UK. Its extensive ground transport infrastructure means 60 percent of all UK businesses are within a two-hour drive of the airport.
“Cargo is a major part of our business which is carried on our fleet of 26 B747 freighters and in the bellies of our passenger aircraft through our Hong Kong hub to over 40 freighter and 85 passenger destinations,” Andrew Roe, Cathay Pacific’s cargo manager for UK & Ireland, said. “Our range of products offers to our customers an array of options from outsized and specialized freighter cargo to pharmaceutical and temperature-controlled solutions. The addition of the B747-8F on to our UK schedule will help us to continue to offer outstanding service to our customers.”
Manchester Airport handles around 100,000 tonnes of freight per year and is home to the World Freight Terminal, a site that offers service providers in the air cargo and logistics supply chain easy access to the airfield.
Work has already begun on the new World Logistics Hub, part of the wider Airport City project, which will form part of the UK government-designated Enterprise Zone for Greater Manchester.