BA considers third freighter Leonard Neill THE SUCCESS of the two scheduled freighters operated by British Airways World Cargo (BAWC) on the London-Johannesburg route for the past 18 months has motivated plans for a third frequency. “There is a strong possibility of this happening,” says BAWC regional vice-president UK, Europe and Africa Tony Nothman. “Its one of several items under consideration for the southern African region.” These include a possible move into the rapidly developing Mozambique market, a likely return of flights into Durban when the new airport is up and running, and further investigations into an Angolan service when infrastructure and operations on the ground have improved. “Africa is a pretty challenging environment these days,” he says. “Our overall figures show that Africa as a whole continues to perform. We have seen increased volumes in and out during the past year. Business has certainly matured right down the length of the continent.” With regard to South Africa, Nothman says that the introduction of the freighter service to Johannesburg has boosted the airline’s figures considerably. In addition the Boeing 777 provides a far bigger cargo uplift daily from both Johannesburg and Cape Town. Research into the Mozambique market is being given a good deal of attention, and the inclusion of Maputo on either a direct service from the UK or linked to the Johannesburg service is a possibility in the future. “We are always keen and willing to introduce services where there is a demand and we cannot overlook these emerging economies,” he says.
