London-bound cargo gets same-day service

London-bound cargo continues to fly out on the same day it leaves Cape Town International Airport despite South African Airways’ cancellation of direct flights on the route. According to Martin Upton, sales officer for SAA Cargo in Cape Town, the cancellation of the direct flight to London was countered by accommodating cargo units on a wide-bodied flight every day from Cape Town to Johannesburg where it is moved to a direct flight to London. “The units are also pre-packed in Cape Town so they are loaded directly on arrival in Johannesburg and don’t have to be broken down again. All cargo originating from Cape Town, while not going directly from the city, can still be flown on the same day to London,” he said. SAA Cargo remains committed to moving cargo from Cape Town as quickly and as efficiently as possible – especially since its biggest clients are in the perishable market, said Upton. “We are the originating area for a lot of perishable exports including fresh fish, fruit and – quite importantly – live lobsters. Perishables remain time-sensitive and therefore being able to offer a same-day service is extremely important to us.” Volumes have remained stable, according to Upton, although the continuing economic difficulties being experienced in Europe – one of the Western Cape’s biggest markets – continue to affect figures. “The Western Cape is very seasonal with not a lot of manufacturing taking place in comparison to other regions in the country. That also affects the volumes as we have big loads of cargo going in the summer months, but then in winter it is very quiet. And as Europe remains in economic turmoil, the volumes remain flat.” He said with Cape Town also being an “out station” it is not always able to give its clients a direct offering. “Most of the connecting flights to the African countries depart in Johannesburg in the mornings, so cargo from Cape Town has to move the day before to make these flights. That affects transit times and adds a whole day in most cases. These are some of the challenges that we have to overcome and we are working hard towards making sure our customers are receiving the best transit times for their products.” CAPTION Martin Upton … ‘Europe’s woes continue to affect volumes.’