Direct Brazil flights kickstart growth

Trade between South
Africa and Brazil
can only grow in
light of the increased
direct capacity between the
two countries since October
2 when LATAM Airlines
started operating between
Sao Paulo and Johannesburg.
According to Bryn
Woolley, managing director
of AirCross SA, LATAM
Cargo’s GSSA, there have
been approximately 2000
tons of export traffic from
Johannesburg to South
America over the past two
years.
“LATAM will obviously
expect to secure a large
percentage of this. With the
increased direct capacity we
expect to see an increase in
the trade between not only
South Africa and Brazil but
South America and Africa,”
Woolley told FTW.
AirCross was appointed
in June 2014 as the GSSA
of LATAM Cargo in an
offline capacity. Since the
introduction of the service
to the South African market,
the company has experienced
solid growth with the
product well received by
customers.
Woolley
said LATAM
would offer
a three
times weekly
service with
a B767-300
aircraft.
“We have
an average
cargo
capacity of
8-12 tons per flight.
“And whereas our
competitors fly to certain
main hubs within South
America, LATAM has
the advantage of having
an extensive network
throughout the continent
Our added benefit is that
all cargo will be booked
direct from Johannesburg
via Sao Paulo to final
destinations,” said Woolley.
“No cargo will be booked
on a ‘first available’ basis.
All cargo reservations will
be confirmed through to
their final
destination
before
departure."
He said the
launch of the
direct services
would ease
the flow
of cargo
from South
America
into Africa
and vice versa, utilising OR
Tambo as a distribution hub
throughout Africa.
“We have educated
ourselves with the various
different customs formalities
and “road blocks” that can
be experienced within the
continent,” he said.
INSERT & CAPTION
We have an average
cargo capacity of 8-12
tons per flight.
– Bryn Woolley