Air Cargo Germany rethinks SA-Frankfurt routing

Looking after the bottom
line in the airfreight
industry is all about
balance – and that’s
an issue to which Air
Cargo Germany has been
applying its mind.
While the recent
acquisition of a major
shareholding in ACG by
Russian airline major
Volga-Dnepr translates
into a more credible and
stable service for the local
airfreight industry, the new
parent company will be
assessing route profitability
in the coming months.
ACG operates two B747
freighters a week from
Germany, “and the inbound
flights are virtually full,”
says Gerd von Mansberg,
MD of ACG general
sales agent The Cargo
Connection.
“But the outbound is a
problem – which is why
we need an intermediate
African destination on the
SA-Frankfurt leg.”
And that’s a decision that
will be made in the near
future.
According to Von
Mansberg, the northbound
contracted cargo – largely
automotive-related – has
been lost. Not only has
seafreight taken a major
share based on cost
considerations, but South
Africa’s labour laws have
cost the industry dearly.
“Motor companies
have a range of models.
But in South Africa,
Toyota for example is
only manufacturing two
platforms – the Hilux and
Corolla.
“And because everything
is so standardised and
they’ve got the logistics
right, there’s little need for
last-minute spares.”
Catalytic converters,
which used to be a strong
outbound commodity, now
move by sea. “And we’ve
lost the leather business,
50% of which has moved to
Bulgaria.”
The financial muscle
that Volga-Dnepr brings
to ACG – along with the
many new destinations
from Frankfurt-Hahn
– is clearly a positive
development for the local
airfreight industry. And
with 17 B747s in its fleet,
it’s a substantial operation.
TCC will be going
all out to market the
airline’s new global
network opportunities
from Frankfurt which
include China, Armenia,
Kazakhstan, India, Kenya,
Sudan and the USA.