A NEW £2.5m cargo facility is about to open at Kent International Airport.

The 3,200 square metre Border Inspection Post at Manston will provide full cargo handling facilities for foodstuffs from outside the European Union.

It is one of the largest such posts in the UK, offering chilled storage, as well as facilities to enable the Department of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to carry out quality checks.

Construction began in January and the final stages of fitting out are now in hand. It has the capacity to handle multiple cargo loads and is expected to attract significant new business to the airport.

Airport director Alastair Robertson said there had been keen interest and discussions were underway with several operators.

He said: "The availability of flights slots at key times and the quick turnaround of cargo achieved at Kent International are our great strengths.

"We regularly clear cargo from unloading to lorries dispatched on the road in 45 minutes, which is an outstanding industry time."

The latest cargo operator moving to use Manston is United Arabian Airlines.

Managing director Captain Mustafa Kordofani said: "The new facilities at London Manston are impressive and combined with its location and good transport links made the airport a first choice for us."