Airfreight shippers to reap benefits of competition

HAVING BROKEN the monopoly in air
flight from Swaziland to Johannesburg after
a landmark court ruling this year in its
favour, Swazi Express Airways has earned
the gratitude of passengers for radically
lowering fares. Company founder and
owner Hans Steffen felt air fares on the
route were artificially high, and he went on
to prove it by slashing prices, forcing his
competitor to do the same.
Soon airfreight shippers will reap the
advantages of competition, as the company
prepares to bring Express Air Services
into its Matsapha International Airport
operations.
“They were here recently to set things
up, and they will build an office next
to ours,” said Steffen, who believes the
movement of large volumes of airfreight
awaits construction of Sikhupe Airport.
The new facility, one hour’s drive east of
Matsapha, may be in operation by 2009.
The runway is already laid out, according
to Steffen, one of the project’s main
supporters.