The airport, the third largest in Africa, is only open from Monday to Sunday from 0330hours to 1730hours GMT, but the hours can be extended on request. Currentlythe airport has only three scheduled international cargo flights and a numberof unspecified ad hoc freighters perweek. EIA, which handled 810 tonnes of cargo last June, has seen its tonnage plunge and only managed 233 tonnes in February, 2010, an airport spokesman confirmed. Despite the huge drop in cargo throughput and the loss … [Read more...] about Shrinking customer and cargo base for Eldoret

The carrier, despite great odds, managed to turn a reasonable ZAR398 million (US$54.2 million) this year, reversing a whopping loss of ZAR1.09 billion it saw in 2008-09. Indeed, the profit stunned many including the then acting CEO Chris Smyth, leading him to wonder aloud during the results presentation: “You must be surprised, just as we were surprised!” With ample experience in the commercial air industry – Siza Mzimela was CEO of the low-cost SA Express carrier … [Read more...] about South African Cargo takes on the world from Jo’burg

With less than a month to go, developers of South Africa’s ZAR 6.7 billion (US$914 million) greenfield King Shaka International Airport outside Durban, insist that the project will be ready for ‘takeoff’ on 1 May in time for the World Cup kick-off in June. Branded the second-largest infrastructural project in the country, as well as boasting an airfreight cargo facility that is the first of its kind for Africa, South Africa’s third international airport … [Read more...] about Durban’s $900 million King Shaka nearly ready

In search of markets that had escaped the savage yield declines of Asia in the early months of last year, carriers – in particular full freighter operators – identified Africa as a relative haven of stability. “Africa has been pretty good over the last year, but if you look at the central part, the perishables part was affected by weather last year so that was an added challenge,” says Ram Menen, Emirates SkyCargo senior vice president. “We also … [Read more...] about An African haven amid the global storm

The head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called upon the entire air cargo value chain to rebuild the air cargo industry by focusing on e-commerce, quality and security to help drive the recovery from last year’s devastating effects of the global economic meltdown. “We are starting to see some signs of optimism on the horizon. But we cannot rebuild on the old foundations. This recession has changed global business. To remain competitive, air cargo … [Read more...] about Air cargo industry must rebuild anew: IATA chief