Longhao Launches Twice-Weekly Zhengzhou Freighters at East Midlands

Central China Longhao Airlines landed its first Boeing 747-400 freighter at East Midlands Airport on 2 November, launching twice-weekly flights from Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport and opening a fresh China-UK cargo connection in the process.

The inaugural arrival marks the carrier's first route into the UK. It also extends a run of cargo operators picking East Midlands as their gateway to the British market, a trend the airport says is built on its central location, available capacity and round-the-clock, 24/7 operation.

Who is Central China Longhao?

Henan Civil Aviation Development & Investment Group restructured and established the airline in 2019. It is state-owned and serves as the main base carrier in Henan Province, where it played a key role in building Zhengzhou into an international air cargo hub.

The carrier operates across Asia and into Europe. The Zhengzhou-East Midlands link is its first step into the UK market.

What's driving the airport's push?

The new route lands on the back of hard numbers. East Midlands recorded a 6.3 percent increase — 36,000 tonnes — in cargo volumes in September compared with the same month last year.

The airport says record cargo volumes now account for a third of all UK air cargo growth. On the strength of that performance, it has begun recruiting a new Head of Cargo Development.

The role carries a specific target: lifting exports and imports from 400,000 tonnes to 500,000 tonnes by 2030, with a corresponding income rise of £10m.

Whoever takes the job will build strategic relationships across logistics, e-commerce, manufacturing, freight forwarding and trade body networks, develop market insight and commercial business cases, and strengthen the East Midlands cargo community, according to the airport.

"East Midlands Airport's ambitions to grow its unrivalled cargo operation has led to it seeking a Head of Cargo Development to help take it to a bigger, better future," the airport stated. "The exciting opportunity to shape and drive the growth of the UK's largest dedicated air cargo hub comes as it achieves record cargo volumes accounting for a third of all UK air cargo growth and continues to attract new cargo airlines and investment."

What does the airline's choice signal?

Commercial Director Adam Andrews framed the Longhao decision as proof of the airport's standing in a fast-moving market.

"We're really pleased to welcome Central China Longhao as a new airline operating to East Midlands as its gateway into the UK," Andrews said. "Longhao's decision to start operations here provides further evidence of the airport's growing strength and reputation within the rapidly evolving Chinese air cargo market."

He added: "We are continuing to attract more cargo operators, who understand that our great central location and available capacity helped by a 24/7 operation together make us an unbeatable proposition in the UK."

For shippers and forwarders, the twice-weekly 747 freighter service adds direct China belly-free capacity into the heart of England, bypassing the congested southeast gateways entirely.

For Longhao, East Midlands offers slot availability and trucking reach that Heathrow and Stansted cannot always match — a standard calculation for Asian carriers eyeing UK e-commerce and manufacturing flows.

With the airport now publicly chasing 500,000 tonnes by 2030 and a £10m income uplift attached to that goal, expect further carrier announcements from Castle Donington as the recruitment of a dedicated cargo development chief signals long-term intent rather than opportunistic growth.