Mail by air freight in the UK
Mail by Air Freight in the UK
Mail makes up a considerable percentage of air freight in Britain, and it often
travels at night.
The CAA figures on tonnage of mail sent by air freight in the UK show that the
airports dealing with the most freight are:
2007 CAA mail statistics
Heathrow 82,256 tonnes
Nottingham East Midlands 27,951
Edinburgh 26,608
Stansted 21,568
Belfast International 11,457
Bournemouth 10,328
Newcastle 8,483
Gatwick 5,588
Exeter 4,991
Bristol 2,904
Isle of Man 2,279
Coventry 1,703
Mail air freight tonnage for Total All Reporting UK Airports 1997 – 2007
Tonnage of mail in:
1997 203 431
1998 202 761
1999 207 726
2000 225 095
2001 216 080
2002 190 485
2003 179 513
2004 220 904
2005 212 920
2006 189 925
2007 207 783 (a 9% rise on 2006)
The total air freight in the UK in 2007 and 2006 was (approx) 2,325,000 and 2,315,000
respectively tonnes – so mail makes up something of the order of 8% by weight.
The DfT website states, in its 1998 “UK Air Freight Study” that:
2.8.3 Buying air freight capacity
The Post Office both wet leases complete aircraft and purchases space on scheduled
and non-scheduled flights using different airlines, including integrators. Scheduled
flights normally involve the belly hold of passenger aircraft and this is likely
to be a continuing practice rather than greater use of freighters.
When using integrators flights, the Post Office tends to purchase space on a
per kilo basis to the airport hub or spoke, at which point, the mail will be fed
into the recipient post offices network.
Mail and parcels are generally despatched in loose bags but there is a growing
tendency to consolidate bags into ULDs (Unit Load Devices) wherever practical.
Airlines are invited to quote for the Post Offices freight space requirements
through invitations to tender appearing in the European Journal. Competitive tenders
are sought on a single leg basis or for a round trip; airlines are sometimes invited
to include ground handling services as a part of their tender. They have reciprocal
arrangements with some foreign post offices, such as the Irish Republics Post
Office, for the return loading of chartered aircraft.
The Post Office commit themselves to moving fixed quantities on different routes
and any excess capacity is not normally sold to third parties.
2.8.4 Airports used
Heathrow Airport is the principal airport used, serviced by the Post Offices
hub at Langley. Coventry is a key regional airport for Parcelforce. Other airports
are used on a regional basis, include Gatwick for the Channel Islands and Liverpool
for Ireland.
Scheduled airlines can place substantial restriction on the air cargo carried
per aircraft, due to their preference for passenger revenue and in consequence
baggage carriage.
There are a number of key issues which are of concern to the Post Office:-
- The fair allocation of airport slots, preferably with a system not always favouring
passenger aircraft through the related revenue for airports in the form of higher
landing fees and other commercial income. - An improved policy on deregulation opening up the airline and therefore the cargo
markets to increased competition. - Scheduled carriers and air freight forwarders are judged as not wishing to encourage
deregulation, which would expose both to increased competition.