Additional freighter frequencies under consideration

SAA Cargo is considering
additional freighter frequencies
on the Lusaka route, executive
manager: marketing and sales, Dixon
Nkomo, told FTW.
The airline operates both line
flights and a B 737F on the route
with multiple frequencies to
Johannesburg.
“Zambia will always be one of our
strategic routes within Africa and
will be part of our Africa Strategies
for years to come. It has always
shown potential and we will continue
to support this route from a cargo
perspective,” he says.
“Over the past few years, the
perishable market in Zambia
has been in full bloom. From an
export view out of Zambia, we
have been fortunate enough to
carry full loads year round, with
the mix switching to veggies
currently in winter.
“SAAC then connects those via its
passenger flights from Johannesburg
into Europe,” he says.
Airfreight exports from South
Africa are mostly for the mining
industry, “but our main supporting
market on the route is our Asia
station, feeding cargo into Lusaka via
Johannesburg.
“We currently carry a fair amount
of textiles into Lusaka, and we
certainly can see the China route into
Lusaka growing for some time,” he
added.
“Lusaka has the potential, as it
can handle the cargo mix be it air or
road.”
Particularly for perishables, after
the economic downturn in Zimbabwe,
most farmers have been using Lusaka
rather than the Harare hub, says
Nkomo. “And one must remember
that 25% of flower exports to Holland
were carried through Zimbabwe.
Flowers make up a fair percentage of
the exports by air.”
The country is also connected to
the rest of the world. “We believe that
we have the network to feed all types
of cargo to and from Zambia to all
over the world. We can fly something
from Lusaka to Brazil, or Taiwan, or
vice versa,” he says.
But Zambia faces competition
as a hub. “While the markets have
moved to Lusaka from Zimbabwe,
at the same time the Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport in Nairobi Kenya
has become a very important hub.
“Eyes are also on Addis Abba, as
Ethiopia seems to be producing a fair
amount of high quality flowers,” he
says.
In April, the Ethiopian ministry
of trade and industry said exports of
mainly agricultural products had risen
to US$1.8-billion in the eight months
to April – a US$200-million increase
from the same period in 2009.
Zega is SAA Cargo’s general sales
and ground handling agent in Lusaka.