As airfreight into Africa continues its upward trajectory, the challenges remain on the ground according to Stephen Bishop, airfreight director at neutral consolidator CFR Freight. “African destinations feature prominently in our top 10 export lanes and we expect this to continue into the future,” he told FTW. “It is easy enough to get cargo to most airports, but it is finding solutions for the final mile deliveries and customs that remain a challenge.” He said CFR had a strategy in place to align with new partners to address this particular challenge. “Having trustworthy communication is critical,” said Bishop. While airfreight volumes had dropped in the past few months due to the global economic downturn, in Africa airfreight was always in demand due to the infrastructure challenges in reaching some areas, he added. High ocean freight rates in Africa would also ensure that airfreight remained in demand on the continent, he said, especially in the LCL sector.
