Air freight is becoming increasingly important for UK trade, according to a new publication by the FTA targeting public policy audiences.
The document outlines the role air freight plays in enabling the UK to become a centre of international business and also looks at the opportunities it opens up for developing nations in areas such as Africa to trade with the UK in fresh produce.
The publication also highlights key points in relation to climate change and fuel emissions:
- Air freight only accounts for around 0.6 per cent of UK carbon dioxide emissions.
- Air freight accounts for 0.5 per cent of the UK’s international goods movements by weight, but 25 per cent by value
- More than one million African rural livelihoods are supported by UK consumption of their fruit and vegetables
- Air services are particularly important for UK trade with fast-growing emerging economies, such as China, and for trade in high value goods and services
Christopher Snelling, head of global supply chain policy at the FTA, said: “There is much debate about aviation in political circles at present, with proposals for Heathrow’s expansion, a proposed new tax on air freight service and the future incorporation of aviation into the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme.
“FTA wants to ensure that these debates are conducted against a backdrop of understanding the role air freight services play in the UK economy and an accurate assessment of the scale of its environmental impact.”
