SAA adjusts fleet to meet automotive demand

Automotive volumes are on the increase as the country recovers from the global financial crisis and demand improves, according to Auriel Newman, executive manager key accounts and customer services for South African Airways Cargo (SAAC). “One of the challenges we currently face is ensuring we have sufficient capacity to meet this demand both in the short and medium term,” she said. It is a demand that is expected to grow. Volkswagen and Daimler Chrysler have recently awarded two new projects to South African plants and as a result more capacity into and out of Europe will be required. “Airfreight demand for the automotive industry is expected to grow over the next few months both for incoming parts and outgoing parts and units,” said Newman. “The overall impact on the economy should also improve as exports grow due to this demand as well as favourable foreign exchange rates.” According to Newman, the automotive industry forms a critical part of both the export and import business of SAAC and various steps are being taken to ensure the airline can offer a consistent and safe service while meeting the demand. “SAA will be undergoing fleet adjustments in the near future with the introduction of the A330-200s, and this will be one area of priority to ensure the demand is met,” she said. With automotive air freight, by its very nature, being time- and handlingsensitive, the recent introduction of the iCargo system by SAAC has been broadly welcomed by the industry, said Newman. “This tracking and tracing system of our cargo enables a more transparent and accurate approach to clients identifying where their cargo is at any point in time. With slight amendments to the system, automotive clients will also be notified faster when there are service failures or cargo is offloaded,” she said.