LONDON Heathrow Airport's airfreight traffic rose by 1
LONDON Heathrow Airport's airfreight traffic rose by 1.2 per cent in August to 140,738 tonnes. Between January and August the airport handled 1.1 million tonnes of cargo, representing an increase of 1.5 per cent compared to the same period in 2017. Heathrow welcomed its first direct flight from the Chinese megacity of Chongqing in August that is operated by Tianjin Airlines. The route is the UK hub's tenth direct Chinese connection. Tianjin Airlines' thrice weekly service will be able to transport 3,700 tonnes of exports per year, reported London's Air Cargo News.
The airport's chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: 'August has been another stellar month for Heathrow with passenger numbers and freight volumes continuing to reach unprecedented heights. It's brilliant to see consumers and cargo making their way through the UK's largest port to these new Chinese destinations.
'With expansion we'll be able to connect more points of the UK to global growth and we're looking forward to working with the Heathrow Skills Taskforce to evaluate how we can best maximise the job opportunities that Britain's new runway will bring.'
