Only about one third of Africa’s airports can meet airlines’ cargo infrastructure needs adequately, according to the vice chairman of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) Cargo Task Force and CEO of Kenya-based Astral Aviation, Sanjeev Gadhia. In a recent blog, he reiterated earlier statements that the lack of adequate cargo infrastructure at African airports had long been a source of concern. “The air cargo industry is a catalyst for economic growth and development in Africa and high-quality air cargo infrastructure is a prerequisite for sustained economic growth and competitiveness,” said Gadhia. He believes that
the continent’s respective governments should make investment in new and existing cargo infrastructure a “national priority”. He said along with the lack of appropriate facilities such as cargo buildings and staging and storage areas, airside and landside service roads were often not well maintained, which had led to both cargo and ground support equipment (GSE) being damaged. Gadhia further pointed to the shortage of sufficient
parking positions for freighters and limited or no manoeuvring and docking areas for trucks at airport cargo warehouses. He added that there was “a particular need” for improved customs processing in order to speed up cargo clearance and reduce costs. He said that there should be increased investment in airport infrastructure such as aprons, runways and lighting equipment which would increase efficiency and turnaround time.
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High-quality air cargo infrastructure is a pre-requisite for sustained economic growth and competitiveness. – Sanjeev Gadhia
