British cargo airline One Air said it has carried out its first flight from the UK to the US as part of its plans to grow in the region.
One Air confirmed the inaugural flight in a LinkedIn post on 24 January. The start of US operations is a major move for the airline, which filed an application to add flights to the US in 2023.
The airline said: ”Huge congratulations on completing our first commercial flight to the US last weekend!”
Air One, the global sales agency for One Air, said in an additional LinkedIn post that the flight had been carried out between the East Midlands and New York.
"Last weekend, we delivered cargo from East Midlands, UK, to New York, US in just 24 hours — from the moment it was booked to delivery at the airport," stated Air One.
One Air currently has three Boeing 747-400 freighters. However, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24, no UK-US flights have been recorded for any of these aircraft in the last seven days. Air Cargo News has requested more information from One Air.
In a May 2023 filing with the US Department of Transportation, the freighter operator requested permission to operate cargo charter flights between the US and UK.
The carrier was subsequently awarded a two-year operating permit by the US Department of Transportation.
The Kingston, Surrey, UK-headquartered airline, which was awarded its Air Operators’ Certificate by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in April 2023 and commenced flights in July 2023, moved its UK operating base from Heathrow Airport to East Midlands last year to benefit from greater slot availability and fewer restrictions around night-time flying.
Since commencing flights, One Air has operated from across the UK, serving points in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
As well as ad hoc charter flights, One Air has been operating a contract for seven 747F flights a week ex Hong Kong into Europe carrying general cargo.
One Air is also intensifying its efforts in Asia. Last year, the airline received regulatory approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CCAR-129) to carry out flights to major Chinese airports, including Tianjin (TNA), Zhengzhou (CGO), and Hangzhou (HGH).
The airline has also secured operator approvals from Japan and Malaysia’s aviation authorities.
The airline intends to add a fourth freighter this year. Last year, a source confirmed to Air Cargo News that One Air planned to add two 777Fs.
