There has been a “huge growth” in demand for air charter services in northern Mozambique, southern Tanzania, and offshore, according to Iain Clark, managing director of Chapman Freeborn Airchartering Africa. The company has flown more than 32 charters into Pemba alone this year. All were either out of Johannesburg or Entebbe. Chapman Freeborn, which is a global company, has offices in Johannesburg and Entebbe, Uganda. Established in 1973, the company has over 30 offices around the world and has been voted the Air Cargo Charter Broker of the year at the ACW World Air Cargo Awards for six consecutive years since 2007. Cargo being flown into Mozambique and southern Tanzania includes heavy and outsize pieces, high value commodities, dangerous goods, oil and gas equipment, drilling equipment, as well as smaller time-sensitive equipment, according to Clark. Shippers do not have to wait until they have a full load. “Part charters are proving very popular,” says Clark With Mozambique’s relatively undeveloped road and rail infrastructure, the demand for airfreight services is growing. “We have been called on to analyse routes and payloads in order to develop commercially innovative solutions for ad-hoc, peak season and project cargo,” he says. Bigger volumes combined with Chapman Freeborn’s global buying power are keeping costs contained, he added. CAPTION 1 Iain Clark … ‘Part charters are proving very popular.’ CAPTION 2 Outsize cargo bound for Africa and handled by Chapman Freeborn being loaded onto a Hercules transporter.
