Can African airfreight keep up with e-commerce demands?

One of the key drivers of airfreight growth over the next few years will be the ongoing rise of the e-commerce industry. But can African airlines meet the new “want-it-now” demands of e-commerce customers? “Globally, customers expect the same type of service online that they would get at a retail store, which puts a serious strain on the supply chain to meet the just-in-time demands. Airfreight, because of its quick turnaround times for delivery, is best placed to meet that demand,” said Ivin George, vice-president: airfreight for sub-Saharan Africa at DHL Global Forwarding. Sanjeev Gadhia, founder and CEO of Astral Aviation, noted that infrastructural and technological barriers prevented African customers from the luxury of an overnight delivery. “However, that can be overcome by multi-modal collaboration, creating harmonised systems across countries, and by developing strong IT platforms,” he commented. End-to-end visibility across the supply chain could help African airlines meet e-commerce demands, said Jacob Mathew, National Air Cargo president for Middle East. Colin Baldwin, senior vice-president, air cargo Africa for Swissport, pointed out that freight forwarders and airlines could establish partnerships with ground handlers to fast-track clearance and handling.