MANCHESTER Airport suffered its first cargo slump since 1996 last year, it was announced today.

The global economic slowdown and the aftermath of September 11 resulted in a 7.5 per cent fall in the amount of freight flown in and out during 2001.

A total of 112,677 tonnes was handled compared with 121,792 in 2000. Imports accounted for 54 per cent.

Airport chiefs said today the slowdown hit imports and exports to and from the United States and the Far East.

Flight cancellations in the wake of the terror attacks on New York and Washington also had an effect, particularly on transAtlantic routes.

But they insist the future looks rosy and are predicting a record 130,000 tonnes in the next full financial year, which begins in April.

China Airlines is due to start three, all-freight jumbo jet services to Taiwan from the end of March while Dragonair is expected to add a sixth weekly cargo flight to Hong Kong in the summer.

Flights resumed

Malaysian Airlines, which carried 3,000 tonnes of cargo between Manchester and Kuala Lumpur last year - including a pride of seven lions bound for a Far East safari park - is due to resume flights in the spring.

Air Canada is making a comeback on the Manchester-Toronto route while Air Jamaica is to operate services between Manchester and Montego Bay and Kingston from June.

Chris Walkden, the airport's cargo manager, said today: ''There was a decline in 2001 at Manchester in common with other major cargo hubs such as Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Heathrow.

"The major causes were the slowdown of the US economy and the fact that the Far East caught a cold. And after September 11, some flights did not operate for a while.

"It was disappointing but there are grounds for optimism." Airport bosses have revised their cargo forecast for the current financial year to March 31, from 123,000 tonnes to 115,000 tonnes.

Racing ponies

Unusual items which passed through Manchester's World Freight Terminal during 2001 included tropical fish, a helicopter, Bentleys and racing ponies, which were flown over from the United Arab Emirates because the UK summer was cooler.

The first half of 2001 showed only a slight dip, but July was 16 per cent down and August and October were 15 per cent down.

December was only eight per cent below the previous year with 11,712 tonnes. Much of the freight last month was retail merchandise such as Harry Potter paraphernalia and Weakest Link board games.

Mr Walkden said he aimed to develop better links with importers and exporters in the north west to attract more freight.

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