Bullish outlook for airfreight market

There are clear signs of a recovery in the airfreight market, according to Alwyn Rautenbach, MD of Airlink Cargo International and chairman of Air Cargo Operators' Committee (Acoc). Talking September figures, he told FTW: “I’d say we were almost at the levels of the same month last year.” Viewing other issues of the moment, Rautenbach also saw a new and disturbing trend in the domestic cargo market. “Overnight trucking is becoming the fashion, rather than overnight airfreight,” he added. “My comment about this is that these trucks are destroying the roads, without paying for it. Airlines pay their way in direct landing fees, parking charges and the like. “But truckers do not pay their share of costs to the roads – and even on toll roads they are not charged enough for the damage they cause.” However, Rautenbach saw happier news when looking at airfreight into Africa. “That scene is faring very well,” he said, “although mining and the like did take a slow-down. But we are getting back to the norms of previous years.” Airlines are also delighted at the latest state of customs’ computer systems. “This electronic data interchange (EDI) paperless release system is a boon,” Rautenbach said. “It has been happily accepted by the industry and is working well – although it is not fully utilised at the moment, with the manifest accrual system still not included.” However, he acknowledged that it had resulted in a massive shift in the controls customs could employ, and in faster movement of goods and documents. Rautenbach only had a brief comment on Part 108 – the new legislation that supports stringent security checks on air cargo. “It has added a slight burden to the cost of airfreight,” he said. “But it’s in everyone’s interests.” Addressing the current dearth of airfreight on the Durban route – mainly a result of an airport that can’t take the wide-bodied jets, and the resultant lack of international flights to the port city of KwaZulu Natal – Rautenbach was hesitant to make any premature statements about the new airport planned to open next year. “We’ll wait and see what happens in Durban with the La Mercy project – which will take the shape of King Shaka International Airport, and the extensive Dube Tradeport cargo terminal and facilities that accompany it (in which Airlink has a one-third share of the private airlines’ cargo section). “Whether the region will generate enough cargo to actually make use of the terminal to its fullest, I don’t know. But I do hope it does happen, because it will be good for both the country and the province of KZN.”