One Air is a British cargo airline operating long-haul charter and scheduled freighter services from East Midlands Airport. It launched with the Boeing 747-400 and later added Boeing 777 freighters.[1]
Launch
One Air was founded in 2021 and received its UK air operator certificate before beginning commercial flying in July 2023. Its first operation connected London Heathrow with Jinan in China; the airline subsequently established its operating base at East Midlands Airport, the United Kingdom's principal cargo airport.[1]
The company is part of Air One International Holdings, alongside businesses involved in cargo sales and aircraft operations. It markets full-aircraft charters to freight forwarders, logistics companies and charter brokers.[2]
Boeing 747 operation
One Air entered service with converted Boeing 747-400 freighters, returning a British-registered 747 cargo operator to the market after other UK airlines had withdrawn the type. The 747 offers high volume, long range and, on factory freighter variants, nose-loading capability.
The JetPhotos image shows G-ONEE, a 747-400BDSF. One Air's 747 fleet has carried general freight and e-commerce traffic between the UK, China, Hong Kong and other international markets.
Boeing 777 expansion
In 2025 the airline added Boeing 777Fs. The twin-engine type broadens One Air's fleet with modern fuel efficiency, long range and payload above 100 tonnes while complementing the specialist capabilities of the 747.[1]
By 2026 the fleet comprised both 747-400 freighters and 777Fs. This makes One Air more than a single-type start-up while retaining the 747 as an important part of its identity.
Operating model
One Air began as an ad-hoc charter carrier and has also supported regular programmes for logistics customers. Its services are shaped around freight demand rather than a passenger timetable, with routes changing according to customer contracts, traffic rights and cargo flows.
East Midlands provides access to the UK's motorway network and an established overnight express-freight community. Technical stops can be used on long sectors when payload, range or airspace constraints require them.