Ndola volumes picking up – as mining recovers

If there’s a single constant in the airfreight market into Africa, it’s that market’s unpredictability. “It’s still sluggish,” says Airlink Cargo MD Alwyn Rautenbach. “Mining hasn’t recovered fully since the recession, but it’s definitely looking a lot more positive.” Routes like Ndola – which serves the mining industry – have slowed down significantly but it’s definitely picked up this year and we hope that Ndola in particular will return to its former glory. Zimbabwe and Mozambique were growth markets last year, according to Rautenbach, and a growing number of specialised products are moving into South Africa from Madagascar. While cargo growth is encouraging, there have been no announcements regarding service changes. “But Airlink is continuously looking at servicing routes with more frequency and bigger aircraft,” said Rautenbach. “After problems with our J41 fleet being grounded, the network was consolidated – we rethought routes and dropped less popular routes like Mafikeng. A complete restructuring is under way and from that will certainly come new routes and more frequencies on certain routes,” he said. A major event on the Airlink calendar has been the May 1 relocation to La Mercy Airport in Durban. Rautenbach believes that it was unfortunate that the facility was built without consultation with the airlines. “Airlines are tailor-making their premises to what they require but it could have been a lot better had they consulted with us. “The airport is situated quite far north of the existing airport and we are not sure how business will adapt to it – whether people will make other plans or whether courier companies will drive out there to drop their cargo. “Time will tell – but as far as the passenger airport is concerned it is excellent.” In the meantime, Rautenbach is quietly optimistic about the outlook for the future, with Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Madagascar featuring high on its growth agenda.