Ethiopian Airlines has launched scheduled freighter services between Hong Kong International Airport and Glasgow Prestwick Airport, adding fresh capacity to support rising e-commerce demand.
The new operation will run three times a week, with flights scheduled on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The service arrives as Prestwick continues to invest heavily in e-commerce handling infrastructure and capabilities.
Earlier this year, Prestwick’s Terminal E reached a significant milestone by processing 25 million parcels in February alone, underlining the airport’s growing importance in the sector.
Ethiopian Airlines Group chief executive Mesfin Tasew said the new route gives a major boost to e-commerce activity between Hong Kong and Prestwick. He added that as the airline continues to expand its presence in both regions, it is pleased to introduce the new three-times-weekly cargo link and help strengthen the connection between the two markets.
Prestwick chief executive Ian Forgie described the service as an important step in scaling the airport’s e-commerce business, with Hong Kong now becoming a key inbound gateway in its network.
He said Prestwick’s purpose-built, fast-track model for e-commerce cargo handling is designed to raise the bar for speed and efficiency, allowing goods to move through the airport faster than at larger hubs and reach end customers more quickly and reliably.
Nico Le Roux, business development director at Glasgow Prestwick Airport, said the new service also shows how regional airports can help rebalance global cargo flows by pairing inbound e-commerce volumes with outbound premium exports. In his view, that combination can improve asset utilisation and reinforce supply chain resilience.
He added that new links to South Korea and Vietnam are also opening more direct access to high-growth markets for Scottish exporters while offering logistics partners a more efficient routing option.
In addition to the new Ethiopian operation from Hong Kong, Prestwick currently handles 15 flights to and from mainland China. Air China Cargo has also recently expanded its service between Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Prestwick.
