1Time demise a major blow to export industry

The demise of budget airline 1Time has been a sad loss for airfreight shippers – especially on the Zanzibar trade. According to an exporter talking to a radio 702 business programme, her perishable exports to Zanzibar International Airport had taken a serious knock. They now had to travel a devious route to get to their destination, and this was also pushing up her costs, she added. This would definitely be a problem, as the airline was the only one directly linking SA to Zanzibar, according to Garry Marshall, MD of Express Air Services, which acted as general sales agent for 1Time cargo. “The other routings to Zanzibar are either via Dar es Salaam in Tanzania or via Nairobi in Kenya,” he told FTW. “That’s the circuitous route she was talking about.” And she wouldn’t be the only shipper who would be missing this 1Time flight, he added. “Most flights to Zanzibar were very busy – both from a passenger and freight point of view.” On the domestic scene, the demise of 1Time has also removed an option in the freight market, according to Marshall. “This drastically reduces the choice of frequencies available for users,” he said, “although there is still ample capacity available.” 1Time’s other exclusive destination, not served directly from SA by any other airlines, was Livingstone in Zambia. But this is not a big freight destination, said Marshall, apart from some perishables for the hotel groups in the area.