Dachser grows airfreight exports

Growing its project cargo footprint has been high on the agenda for Dachser South Africa. According to Durban branch manager Olaf Duve, there are many opportunities in the current marketplace to do this. “For the past few years we have been growing our airfreight export offering,” he said. “A contract with a local manufacturer in KwaZulu- Natal, shipping aluminum coils to Brazil, has added to this growth. We continue to work on this and our links with Brazilian customers has grown strong.” According to Duve, shipments of up to 20 tons have become commonplace from the Durban branch. Each pallet weighs between two and four tons and is moved by chartered aircraft. He said the shipment had left South Africa in mid-January en route to Brazil on a chartered B7474- 400F aircraft. “We believe that a competitive price, good relationships with the airlines and a strong presence in Brazil played a major role in the success of this shipment. Another important role-player was the dedicated teams who worked on the project both in Durban and in Sao Paulo,” said Duve. With more demand for this commodity expected in the build-up to the Soccer World Cup in Brazil, as well as continued orders for the automotive and beverage can industry, Duve said they remained positive about the future of their airfreight project business. CAPTION A shipment of aluminium coils weighing in at just under 105 tons was recently moved by air from South Africa to Brazil by Dachser.