Airlink adds freight capacity

To handle the expected
growth in airfreight
volumes, Airlink is
set to convert most of
its fleet of 13 Jetstream
41 aircraft for the sole
use of freight.
While there is no
set timeline for this
programme, the first
aircraft will be taking
to the skies before the
end of July – having
already been converted
into a three-ton freighter
aircraft.
“We toyed with the
concept early in 2010,”
Airlink CEO, Rodger
Foster, told FTW. “We
recognised that our J41
fleet was not going to
be able to handle our
growing passenger
service and that we
needed to upgrade to
bigger aircraft. At the
same time it made sense
to convert the J41s to
handle our growing
freight service as that
would give us increased
capacity.”
With the first one set
to become operational
soon, plans are already
under way to start work
on the conversion of
the second. “There is
no specific timeframe
set to complete the
conversion of all thirteen
Jetstreams,” said Foster.
“As the demand for
freighter aircraft gains
momentum, we will
withdraw Jetstreams
from passenger services
and commit them to the
conversion and thereafter
to their new life as
dedicated freighters,”
said Foster.
Airlink Cargo MD,
Alwyn Rautenbach,
welcomed the initiative
saying it increased
capability drastically.
“We are still growing
our belly freight business
and will continue to
carry cargo on our
passenger flights, but we
are adding to our service
by having a dedicated
freighter aeroplane.”
He said the aircraft
were ideally suited for
the small express parcel
and courier industry
and would be servicing
the domestic as well as
southern African region.
According to Foster
no structural changes
have been made to the
aircraft – they can always
be converted back to
passenger aircraft if the
need should arise.