A Government Exports Minister has acknowledged the pivotal role East Midlands Airport (EMA) plays in driving regional growth during a visit to celebrate and encourage international trade.
The Department for Business and Trade’s Minister for Services, Small Business and Exports, Gareth Thomas MP, was the keynote speaker at the ‘Made in the Midlands, Sold to the World’ exporter roadshow, which was held yesterday (12 November) in the Rolls-Royce Flight Operations Centre at EMA.
Hosted by the UK Government’s Department for Business and Trade, the event brought hundreds of business leaders together with goods and services exporters, trade experts, and UK Government representatives to equip them with the tools and knowledge to access new markets and grow internationally. The Mayor of the East Midlands Combined County Authority, Claire Ward, also attended and spoke at the event.
EMA is the UK’s number one air freight hub, contributing £1.6bn in national GVA and supporting more than 17,000 jobs across the UK in 2023. It is connected to 185 of the world’s major cities, centrally located, and operates 24 hours a day, enabling businesses to seamlessly connect goods with customers.
This, combined with its specialisation in cargo-only aircraft rather than relying on passenger aircraft to carry freight, as many airports do, means EMA is uniquely placed to handle express air freight. This is the fastest-growing type of air cargo, tipped to account for an ever-increasing share of all goods shipped around the world in the years to come. EMA’s air cargo growth is projected to support between £687m and £1.8bn in additional GVA and between 2,700 and 12,600 extra jobs by 2030.
EMA’s unrivalled air cargo operation supports many key businesses predominantly based in the Midlands, including advanced manufacturers of high-value goods and companies in the aerospace, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and automotive sectors.
Exports Minister Gareth Thomas said: “The Midlands is a hotbed for innovation across many sectors, with businesses here developing and selling amazing products and services right across the world. Through our supply chain support, webinars, and advice programmes from our expert international trade advisors, the UK Government is working hard to ensure businesses have the tools they need to thrive.
“East Midlands Airport plays a vital role in making this happen, supporting businesses in advanced manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and pharmaceutical industries with their global delivery goals. This boosts the whole region and helps deliver good local jobs and economic growth.”
EMA’s Managing Director, Steve Griffiths, said: “I was pleased to welcome the Exports Minister to EMA and give him the opportunity to see for himself the crucial role we play in powering seamless trade for the whole country.
“It was a great chance to outline how some of our unique attributes, including our central location and ability to offer a 24-hour service, allow us to punch well above our weight. I outlined our ambitions to build on the success of our air cargo operations, bringing more jobs to the region.”
Businesses in the Midlands region looking to sell overseas for the first time or expand operations can find information, advice, and support from the Department for International Trade by visiting great.gov.uk.
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