Airline European Cargo has announced plans to launch freighter operations between China and Teesside International Airport and establish an operational base at the northeast UK airport.
The flights will operate five-times per week using the airline’s European Cargo A340-600 converted freighters, which offer a payload capacity of 76 tonnes and a cargo capacity of 440 cu m.
The carrier primarily caters for e-commerce traffic originating in China. The airport said the flights are expected to start early this month and the start of operations at the new base will coincide with the flights.
However, it was not able to say where the flights would operate to in China. At present, European Cargo is operating flights Chengdu and Chongqing.
As part of the agreement, the airline will also make a multi-million-pound investment in a new operational base at Teesside Airport Business Park.
“The service provides the capacity to transport up to 375 tonnes of freight each week, opening up faster, more direct export routes for UK manufacturers and businesses,” the airport said in a press release.
Teesside airport managing director Phil Forster said: “Securing a new freight base and direct links to China is a pivotal moment that significantly strengthens our commercial offering and demonstrates the confidence global operators have in what we are building here.
“The impact of this deal will be substantial – not only in boosting cargo operations and revenue, but in firmly positioning the airport as a strategic location for aviation, freight and future investment. It underlines our ambition to develop a highly commercially successful airport that plays an essential role in driving the region’s economic future.”
European Cargo’s chief operating officer Iain Edwards added: “We are incredibly pleased to establish this new operational base at Teesside International Airport, which marks a significant step forward in our mission to connect UK businesses with global markets.
“Our investment in Teesside reflects our confidence in the region’s infrastructure and its potential as a premier logistics gateway.”
The airline has primarily used Bournemouth Airport in the south of the UK as its operational base but in 2024 started flights to Cardiff Airport in Wales.
In March last year, Teesside Airport announced plans to develop a new cargo hub that it hopes will cater for exports from the region.
The new Airlink facility will be built on a 750,000 sq ft site and, according to the airport, will have direct apron access “allowing cargo to be loaded and unloaded swiftly and efficiently from aircraft”.
