Dube TradePort’s (DTP) cargo terminal welcomed its first international freighter on 20 June, when an Emirates SkyCargo B747-400F touched down, departing later in the day carrying outsized cargo bound for Dubai. The arrival officially marked the beginning of a new era for international air-trade through KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Southern African region.

“This freighter operation was a milestone for Emirates SkyCargo and its partners, Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) and DTP, as it was the first international commercial freighter service to go into the new King Shaka International Airport (KSIA),” said Emirates’ cargo manager – Durban, Ricky Isaac. “The increased capacity of the new airport and cargo terminal bodes well for the future expansion of the air freight industry in KwaZulu-Natal, and Emirates SkyCargo looks forward to playing an integral part of this growth.”

The state-of-the-art cargo terminal is aimed at “recapturing” international freight previously re-routed through OR Tambo International Airport and to actively generate new investment in future air-freight related commerce, said Dube Tradeport in a statement.

“This is an exciting moment for the brand new WFS SA team here at KSIA, providing us with an opportunity to work with our customers to ensure a successful turnaround of this very first freighter operation, said WFS South Africa’s chief operating officer,” Mike Stewart. “We at WFS SA hope this will be just the first of many similar freighter operations we will be handling over the coming months”.