Air Seychelles and Air Moz join forces to extend airfreight reach

African carriers are doing it for themselves. This is clear following the signing of a cooperation agreement between Air Seychelles and Air Mozambique for the lease of an aircraft. According to Mario Turketti of Aero-Link Consulting, general sales and service agent for Air Seychelles and Air Mozambique, this arrangement has many benefits. “It allows Air Mozambique to enter into the European market from South Africa while Air Seychelles is not parking its aircraft but increasing its revenue by flying its machine.” He says the agreement will see the Air Seychelles Boeing 767 300 fly from the Seychelles to Johannesburg twice a week after which it will be taken over and the interior branded by Air Mozambique to then fly twice a week via Maputo to Lisbon before returning through Maputo to Johannesburg. “The available cargo capacity is 14 tons. This agreement allows us to attract product we were previously not able to carry because it was too big for the aircraft. This is definitely opening up a new market, allowing Air Mozambique to carry larger product.” Turketti said these kinds of agreements were definitely the way forward for African airlines that did not necessarily have huge financial backing. “In modern business, carriers have to be innovative to ensure longevity in a stormy market arena at best. Working together these airlines can ensure they remain economically viable.”