New airport improves efficiencies

Turners Shipping has
seen significant growth in
airfreight volumes following
the relocation of its airfreight
department to the Trade Zone
at King Shaka International
Airport.
The office and on-site
warehouse opened at the
beginning of October last
year and is situated in the
heart of the Dube Trade
Port, part of the new airport
development. The Trade
Port was established to serve
as a catalyst for economic
growth in KwaZulu-Natal
by streamlining airfreight
operations and offering an
alternate route for KwaZulu-
Natal freight that is currently
going to Gauteng’s OR Tambo
International Airport.
Turner Group managing
director, Conrad Cochrane-
Murray, said there were
several reasons for relocating.
“We wanted to support the
efforts made by the province
to strengthen the industry,
and while the new facilities
benefit existing clients, they
also enable us to target new
business in the textile and
clothing industry.”
With the new office
situated across the road
from the airport’s cargo
terminal, operations are now
more efficient, according to
airfreight manager Treven
Govender. “The freight
handlers, Customs and South
African Police Service offices
are all in the one building
with the port health officials
close by. If there is a query or
problem we can go directly to
the office and resolve it faceto-
face.”
Operations will be even
more efficient when the stateof-
the-art overhead conveyor
linking the cargo terminal
and the Trade Port comes into
service in March, he added. It
has been designed to deliver
freight items directly to the
warehouses in the Trade Port.
“This is going to speed things
up,” says Govender. “We
will no longer have to send
vehicles to collect the freight.”