Airport upgrade will boost Namibia’s fish exports larger planes will improve efficiency

ALAN PEAT THE UPGRADING planned for Walvis Bay International Airport should give a major boost to Namibia’s fresh fish exports through the airport, according to Pieter Louw, GM of Walvis Bay Airport Services (WBAS) and its parent company, WB Stevedoring. This, he told FTW, because most fresh fish exports are currently routed by reefer (refrigerated) road vehicles to Cape Town and Johannesburg, and flown out of these two airports to their overseas destinations. “But,” said Louw, “we envisage that, with the intended alteration and expansion of the airport, we’ll be able to fly out more fresh fish direct from Walvis Bay to the Spanish and other European markets. “Once larger planes can land it will make things much more efficient.” Since WB Stevedoring was merged with African Stevedores and International Stevedores in 2000, it has become part of the Manica Group Namibia. WBAS offers a 24-hour service at Walvis Bay International Airport, and is ideally positioned, Louw added, to attend to all the aircraft using the airport facilities. WB Stevedoring, meantime, offers its professional cargo handling services to ships agencies, ship owners, exporters and importers. “It is recognised as one of the safest and most effective stevedoring companies on the African continent,” said Louw, “and boasts ISO 9002 certification.” Both companies are linked to the other Manica group operations in Namibia. To the ships agents and fish exporters SAFE Namibia, and to its logistics arm, SAFE Fowarding and Aircargo. Also to Rennies Consolidated, with its full range of depot and warehousing facilities in Walvis Bay totaling about 56 500-square metres of storage space. All these companies are also perishable specialists, moving fresh and frozen fish from Namibia, the supply of machinery, spares and provisions for the fish industry’s fleets and factories. Through the Namsov group of companies, they also have five mid-water trawlers with a capacity of 110 000-tons catch a year.