Market response could fast-forward capacity expansion plans

Customers get a chance to win two business class tickets JOY ORLEK JUST THREE months into the launch of its South African service, Delta Air Lines is more than satisfied with market response – so much so that it’s considering increasing capacity earlier rather than later to meet the excessive demand. To date, the South African route has been one of Delta’s most successful start-up operations, says GSAfrica MD Anne Sanders. “We’re turning away cargo and have now set an April deadline for a decision on whether to bring in a Boeing 777 which would increase capacity to 17 tons. “Cargo to the US is pumping. Hunting trophies are a big item, and because most of it is volume based and we are weight restricted, we can maximise airline capacity.” The Atlanta hub has also taken off well, says Sanders, providing streamlined connections to destinations like Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and San Francisco. “And because we fly widebody aircraft to the majority of destinations out of our Atlanta hub, we have an edge on the competition which generally uses trucking services for onward shipment.” A sophisticated air cargo booking system also provides big benefits for the customer, says GSAfrica’s Dean Hewitt. “We merely key in the dimensions of the cargo and the system will calculate the routing and provide the client with all the necessary details from acceptance times to collection at final destination.” An additional incentive for freight forwarders will run for the first 12 months of Delta’s operation. The top revenue earner among its customers every quarter will win two business class tickets to any destination in continental US, excluding Hawaii.