European Cargo

European Cargo is an air cargo airline based at Bournemouth International Airport in Dorset, England. It flies Airbus A340-600 freighters from regional UK airports to destinations around the world. It sells scheduled cargo programmes, ad hoc charters and wet and dry leasing.

A notice on the company's records says joint administrators were appointed to European Cargo Limited on 3 June 2026. The administrators now manage the affairs, business and property of the company.

The airline says it has a fleet of 10 Airbus A340-600 aircraft. The A340-600 is the largest-capacity member of the Airbus A340 family. It has four Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines and a range of 7,900 nautical miles. The company says four engines instead of two larger ones cut maintenance costs by 13 per cent. The design also lets the aircraft fly non-stop over oceans and mountains without ETOPS limits.

During the pandemic, the aircraft were repurposed from passenger to freighter use. They flew over 400 flights that carried personal protective equipment and test kits. The company says it was granted exclusive rights in December 2022 to a modification approval for the A340-600 to work as a freighter.

The upper deck carries 39 cargo pods in six sizes and takes about 40 tons of freight. The lower deck holds up to 14 large pallets, 8 in the forward section and 6 in the aft section. It offers 175 cubic metres or 55 metric tons of space. A bulk area takes 3.5 metric tons of loose cargo.

The airline describes its operation as one of a kind. It says it flies long-range routes from regional UK hubs. Its routes include flights from Bournemouth to Chengdu and Chongqing in China. The company lists UK connectivity, controlled cargo handling, reliable aircraft with innovative maintenance, flexible routes and cargo, competitive pricing and operational excellence as reasons to choose it.

Services

• Scheduled cargo programmes
• Charter flights
• Wet leasing
• Dry leasing
• Passenger to freighter A340-600 operations