It’s up to the shipper to ensure all royalties are paid up
KEVIN MAYHEW
COMPANIES FREIGHTING goods into Africa by charter must make certain that the responsibility for payment of any royalties at destination airports has been finalised.
Lanseria-based Tramon Air managing director, Daniel Coetzer, says they incur unnecessary delays and expense when the details of such payments are not established beforehand. He concedes it is difficult because the royalties or taxes are often imposed arbitrarily by staff at airports with no set rates.
“We take whatever precautions we can to ensure that all expenses are included in our prices. The unpredictable nature and reasons for payments, often at almost disused airports and imposed by the remaining staff of already dissolved or bankrupt airlines for using what they claim are their facilities, makes it difficult.
“Shippers should not be surprised if we refuse to offload cargo at the destination until we have secured notification that we will be able to take off again, otherwise our plane is impounded until we pay,” explains Coetzer.
This year Tramon Air gained United Nations Flight Department accreditation, which is one of the top international operating acknowledgements for charter and passenger services
It flies to passenger destinations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin, Togo and Ghana in Gulfstream aeroplanes suited to these flights with their 3 000km range. Its “stand-up” cabins, flushing toilets with hot water and a full hot and cold galley make for comfortable flying.
On the cargo side the company has introduced the first of two HS-748 freighters especially converted to carry five tons loadable through big cargo doors.
