Express Air adds perishable arm

EXPRESS AIR Services (EAS) has taken over the lease of the Freshline Cargo warehouse at the Johannesburg International Airport Perishable Cargo Triangle. It provides a new service opening for the general sales and handling agents who have been granted dispensation by the department of Customs and Excise and Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) to handle both perishable and dry cargo, imports and exports, through this facility. "The beauty of this arrangement is that we can handle all types of cargo under one roof," says EAS marketing director Bruce van Wyk. "One airline which realised immediately the immense value we now offer is Hydro Air which has switched its import handling to us (from Air France). "Hydro Air has proven it is a reliable operation and through clever positioning has had fantastic payloads from Europe and South Africa. We now see ourselves adding significant value to this service provider on the ground by managing its dry and perishable cargoes through a single warehouse. "With our growing domestic and regional infrastructure we now have a bouquet of services covering sales and marketing, dry and perishable cargo handling, ramp and security management, network and product incorporation with codeshare involved, and comprehensive outsourced cargo solutions to foreign and local airlines. "In a nutshell, our strategy is to invest in solutions that will enhance the service levels and product ranges that are currently available in the southern African market, and to add tangible value to the freight forwarding and airline communities alike."