Airfreight levels through OR Tambo International are week-on-week (w-o-w) trending ahead of last year’s levels, according to the latest Cargo Movement Update (CMU) by the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) and Business Unity SA (Busa).
Inbound volumes were up 5% for the week preceding September 7, measured at 623 000 kilograms.
Outbound decreased 4% for the same period to 356 000kg.
“The current levels indicate that cargo is still trending above last year’s level,” said Dr Jacob van Rensburg, head of Research and Development at Saaff.
Year-on-year at this stage there is a 4% increase in airfreight volumes, according to CMU data.
Current levels are also 5% above the comparative pre-pandemic levels of 2019.
However, Van Rensburg points that, “operationally, the air cargo industry continues to face headwinds as critical issues with Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) remain unresolved.
These include warehouse leases, the cargo precinct upgrade and the long-awaited midfield terminal.
“Frustration among stakeholders is mounting, as engagement with Acsa’s leadership has yet to materialise, leaving the sector feeling overlooked despite its strong recent performance.”
Adding to current challenges are international air cargo markets, which “remained mixed in late August, with chargeable weight still up on last year, but rates under pressure,” the CMU states.
“Asia, Europe, and Africa posted gains, while North America declined.
“Rising capacity is balancing demand, though tariff-driven weakness in China-US e-commerce flows is weighing on growth, and airline on-time performance slipped to 77%,” the CMU’s latest figures show.
