Ray Smuts FROM NOVEMBER 29 KLM Cargo will bolster its daily service between Amsterdam and Johannesburg and Cape Town utilising Boeing 747-400 aircraft with two additional 747-Combis. The combis will fly into Johannesburg only. More cargo capacity will be particularly useful as KLM Cargo is experiencing a huge demand for Cape flora, that is, Proteas and fynbos, destined for Aalsmeer the Amsterdam flower market. A typical flight out of South Africa will contain at least two pallets (1 800kg) of flowers but the 360-odd tons of cargo airfreighted every month includes large volumes of machinery, auto parts, textiles, yarns and a wide range of other commodities. KLM's Rudi Konings believes there will always be a demand for airfreight, particularly in the sphere of perishables, even though some shippers are tending to favour seafreight due to lower costs. "Specialisation utilising airfreight is certainly becoming the name of the game, an example being fresh South African fruit salad available in a London supermarket a day later."
