Teesside International Airport takes over cargo capacity from Doncaster Sheffield Airport - which handled 10,000 tonnes of freight per year

The closure of Doncaster Sheffield by Peel in October left cargo operators who had used the airport since 2005 looking for a new base, with the likes of Manchester already heavily congested with passenger traffic.

Teesside International Airport has now welcomed its first cargo flights and has partnered with aviation services company Air Partner to become a major freight hub.

The first arrival was automotive components for a global manufacturer based in the north-east, which arrived on three Cessna aircraft.

Teesside’s advantages include its relative proximity to Scotland, and its delivery radius can cover 94 per cent of the UK within six hours.

Larger aircraft are expected to use the airport in the new year to handle bulk cargo. Doncaster Sheffield was famous for the visits of the Antonov carrier planes, including the AN-225, the only one of its kind in the world which was destroyed in an attack on an airport in Ukraine earlier this year.

Air Partner vice president Pierre van der Stichele said: “Air Partner offers 24-hour operational support for arranging aircraft handling, acting as the first point of contact for aircraft operators globally. The successful, swift mobilisation of three turbo prop cargo aircraft in recent weeks is the tip of the iceberg as we intend to handle wide-body aircraft at Teesside International Airport in due course to support the growth of such a crucial cargo hub in the UK.”

The airport has ‘unconstrained’ slot times due to a limited service by major commercial airlines. It also has a large runway and fuel farm.

Its owners have predicted that it could double the former Doncaster capacity to 20,000 tonnes within two years.

Peel’s former tenants have begun to find new homes for their operations. Wizz Air relocated its flights to Leeds Bradford Airport, and TUI redeployed their aircraft to other bases. The National Police Air Service is temporarily flying out of Leeds Bradford. The Vulcan To The Sky Trust will move the Cold War-era Vulcan aircraft by next summer, and a flight training school has also moved.