INTERVIEW
Among these assets and advantages is the East Midlands’ strategically advantageous geographical position. “The location of the Midlands is perfect for import and
export – in many cases, if a package is coming in from overseas overnight we are able to post the package late afternoon one day and it can be at its destination the next. “We’re within a four-hour truck drive of around 90% of
the population in England and Wales. Four hours from London on a truck, for example, is unlikely to get anywhere near as far. London has its market but here, we are a UK national strategic asset given our location.” Given so much is in the East Midlands’ favour, it is clear
to see why Karen is so enthusiastic about the region’s future, yet she offers a caveat – the region’s business community must come together to become greater than the sum of its parts. “I think collaboration is where we’ll get the real benefit,”
she suggests. “There are lots of great businesses in the East Midlands
which individually are doing some really important work but it’s actually when you can join the dots and look at it holistically that you’re likely to get maximum benefit. “I believe that the East Midlands Development
Corporation that Sir John Peace is heading up is actually going to be an opportunity to be a strategic body that can really look at the key assets in the East Midlands and how we drive and maximise the benefits from them.” As with all commercial entities, East Midlands Airport
must keep evolving to adapt to an ever-shifting landscape. And while there have been notable evolutions to
consumer behaviour – brought about largely by the advancements in digital and technological capabilities – Karen believes that such changes apply to the corporate side of the business too. “You see the developments in terms of logistics and
technology and the upgrades in facilities, such as those being made here at the airport by DHL, which is testament to that. You have also got large warehouse units becoming increasingly high tech and that’s all about making them as efficient as they can be. “We have seen a massive increase in ecommerce over
the years and I know as an avid shopper myself that once people get used to ordering today and having it tomorrow; those expectations are there to stay. “It’s not just in a shopping sense, it also relates to the
behaviour of business. For example, companies are generally holding less stock because actually we know that we can get the essential parts and deliver them to you very quickly.”
As Brexit rumbles on with no definite ending in sight, the
uncertainties faced by businesses of all sizes and from all sectors has been well documented. As a business which engages in both B2B and B2C
activity, Karen is well placed to offer her insight as to how Brexit has and is affecting both customer and corporate behaviour. “We haven’t seen any direct impact of Brexit at the
airport to date. I have certainly seen a lot of planning that is ongoing and my team are involved in preparing for those just-in-case scenarios; but we haven’t seen any real impact. “That said, our airlines tell us that they have seen an
impact and that there has been a slowdown in consumer confidence in terms of people not booking holidays as early as they have done in the past; that was certainly the case around Easter time. “From a cargo perspective, I was expecting to see some
real spikes given we heard of companies stockpiling but we haven’t seen that – we have just seen a steady year-on-year growth of about ten per cent. We are busier in the winter with cargo to coincide with various events such as Black Friday and Christmas but the reality is that it is in line with trend, we haven’t seen any difference to what we have seen historically over the past few years.” East Midlands Airport’s position as a country-leading
facilitator of importing and exporting was acknowledged recently, becoming the only UK airport to make the cargo award shortlisting in the Air Cargo News’ prestigious annual awards in the Freighter Hub of the Year category. It’s an accolade that Karen believes epitomises the
airport’s standing and reputation in this crucial area of activity and one that stands it, and the region, in good stead for the future. “I am delighted we are getting the recognition for the
role we play because in the UK success for most, if not all, airports is judged on passenger numbers but actually we buck the trend. “Our passenger numbers are fairly consistent and the
cargo operation is something we’ve worked hard on in the background to develop and facilitate. “It’s great for us, the Midlands and the Airfreight and
Logistics sector and has opened up new channels where Government is starting to talk to us specifically around challenges and opportunities as a cargo airport – I think we’re on the map. “The UK Aviation Strategy is out for consultation and we
feel we have a duty as the leading airport for cargo in the UK to make sure that cargo is represented within this strategy; I’m not sure that has always been the case in the past. There’s a lot of good work going on out there in our region both domestically and in relation to international trade. Where I want to play a major part moving forward, and what I see as key to unlocking early growth in the region, is
looking at how we bring this all together and work together to make sure that we have a regional strategy that is for the good of all.”
Karen Smart
‘The location of the Midlands is perfect for import and export’
48 business network June 2019
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