Cargo First, Bournemouth Airport’s dedicated cargo handling service, has strengthened its fast-track ‘One Team’ operation by bringing its on-site customs bonded warehouse facilities fully in-house. The move further streamlines Cargo First’s ground handling operation which is geared to providing a faster alternative to the congested London airport system for freight customers.

It comes as global e-commerce demand continues to grow. IATA (International Air Transport Association) suggested in a recent industry briefing that global e-commerce parcel volumes could double to 260 billion by 2025, with 80% of sales estimated to be cross-border.

And FedEx Express recently published research saying e-commerce would continue to take a growing proportion of total consumer spend. But the number one customer complaint (53%) is that deliveries take too long, with an expectation of receiving goods within three days to one week of ordering.

Bob Matharoo, Head of Cargo Development at Cargo First, said: “We’re fine tuning our system to make the cargo ownership chain as short and responsive as it can be, with no third parties. Our focus is speed to market and being a cost-effective alternative to the hub airports.

“E-commerce continues to grow, and with it customer expectations around speed of delivery. Capacity at the big London hub airports is severely constrained but we’re not. We think that’s a real opportunity for Bournemouth Airport and Cargo First, especially bearing in mind our location just 90 minutes from the capital.”

Cargo First was initially working jointly with a global logistics partner to handle customs processing through the bonded facilities on the airport site. It now has full control over the whole cargo process, from offloading aircraft through to processing, onward loading and delivery.