Neil Harris . . . Adding
welcome capacity on European route.
BELGIAN-BASED airline Sobelair, which launched its South African service on November 25 last year, has appointed Express Air Services (EAS) to the dual role of general sales agent (GSA) and cargo handling agent (CHA).
The airline has been operating for 53 years. It started out as a Belgian charter company mainly in the tourism industry and later progressed into carrying cargo on scheduled flights.
“They conducted extensive research into the South African airfreight industry before we came out tops as their chosen agents,” says Neil Harris, EAS executive senior manager, marketing and sales.
“Creating this additional capacity into mainland Europe is a welcome initiative for local courier and freight forwarding concerns as capacity has diminished through airlines withdrawing their services to South Africa. With capacity on other European-bound airlines limited and currently over-traded, we can now offer an ideal gateway on a scheduled basis to Brussels to reach European destinations cost effectively and reliably.”
The airline currently operates a Boeing 767-300 aircraft with three direct rotations a week, flying out of Johannesburg on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The loading configuration of the aircraft allows utilisation of LD2, LD3 and LD8 containers as well as 88cm and 96cm pallets.
‘This space is currently being lapped up and we have already experienced enormous success with the airline in the short space of time we have served them,” says Harris.
