Business leaders ‘committed’ to Chinese – East Mids freight links

Direct freight flights between China and the East Midlands could be just around the corner after officials from the country said they are “committed” to exploring direct trade links.

Officials in the Sichuan province of China and representatives from neighbouring Chongqing Airport in southwest China are looking at the opportunity for direct cargo flights to East Midlands Airport (EMA) which is home to the UK’s largest dedicated air-cargo operation.

In October, a delegation from Leicestershire including EMA’s managing director, Karen Smart, had meetings with officials from the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee who own key state assets including the airports and airlines. While in China, Karen also visited neighbouring Chongqing Airport where she met the airport’s deputy general manager to discuss opportunities for new commercial relationships.

Sichuan is one of the largest provinces in China with an area of 485,000 km² (187,260 mi²) – a similar size to Spain. It boasts a population of 81 million people and is considered as the most important in western China, acting as an economic corridor that connects the hinterland of south-western China to south and central Asia. Sichuan Province has the largest consumer market in western China, which provides a major opportunity for UK and European businesses.

Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport began operations from a newly-built third terminal and third runway in 2012. The airport has capacity for 45 million passengers and 1.1 million tonnes of cargo.

The recent visit builds on a landmark strategy, launched by the county and city councils, designed to boost trade and investment with China which was unveiled at a special celebration event in 2018 to mark 30 years of twinning arrangements between Leicestershire and Sichuan – one of the longest UK-China twinning relationships.

EMA is second only to Heathrow in terms of volume of cargo, handling 368,000 tonnes of goods a year, £11bn of which is to and from non-EU countries. It is home to major global and domestic logistics companies including DHL, UPS, FedEx/TNT, and Royal Mail.

Smart said: “I was really encouraged by the response we had when visiting both Sichuan Province and Chongqing Airport. There is a real appetite for making this happen and there is recognition on both sides that there would be significant mutual benefit from direct flights whether they’re to and from airports in Sichuan or Chongqing Airport. I look forward to continuing these discussions and playing a key role in ensuring we achieve this.”

Trevor Pendleton, cabinet member at Leicestershire County Council, said: “I am very pleased to hear how beneficial the recent visit was. This continued partnership will lay the foundations of the future work between Leicestershire and Sichuan which will further the economic growth and development of our county. We will continue to work closely with Sichuan to ensure the best outcomes for Leicestershire.”