FedEx Express has expanded its presence at Newcastle International Airport, adding 17 jobs to its current team of four.
The business, a subsidiary of the wider FedEx Corp, said the move was to serve growing export and import demands in the region and means it will fly a larger aircraft from the base.
It will upgrade from its current B737-400 aircraft to an ATR72 - which is three times the size and adds about 149,000lbs of inbound and outbound capacity each week.
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A new weekly outbound flight will be added to the current flight schedule, meaning five outbound flights and four inbound flights will operate to and from Newcastle International Airport. The firm will fly from Newcastle, to Edinburgh and on to Paris where the packages are sorted and transferred to other aircraft for onward distribution to other countries.
FedEx will now operate from its own facility at the airport, which hosts scanning technology that allows on-site sorting and scanning of packages
Edward Clarke, vice president operations UK, FedEx Express, said: ‘‘We are excited about our latest investment at Newcastle International Airport. It reflects our ambition to continuously expand and improve our business, and helps support our customers in the North East England grow their businesses within the region and around the world.
"Our new facility also provides our team members with a more modern working environment and a true home for our growing company.‘‘
Leon McQuaid, director of aviation development said: ‘’FedEx are a key business partner at Newcastle International Airport, and we welcome its investment and commitment to the airport and to the region.
"By increasing import and export capability, FedEx is supporting growing demand from North East businesses, and in turn helping to generate additional jobs.
"This investment highlights the strategic importance of Newcastle International Airport nationally and we look forward to our continued strong working relationship with FedEx."
