SAA offers cost-competitive charter option

Contrary to perception,
the air charter option is
not necessarily the most
expensive, says SAA Cargo
national marketing and sales
manager Ronel Rossouw.
“We have an aircraft
available that has to work
and we’ve looked at very
competitive pricing based
on variable rather than fixed
costs.
“People don’t understand
the pricing of aircraft,”
says Rossouw. “The more
you fly the aircraft the
more competitive the price
becomes. And if you work
out the per kilogram cost,
it’s sometimes a very viable
option.”
The airline’s Boeing 737
300 has had a busy few
months, particularly during
the World Cup – and a busy
schedule ahead.
It has a four-hour range
with eight pallets available
and a maximum payload
on the four hour route of 15
tons.
Catering for a range of
cargo - from cattle to bank
notes to medicine – the
aircraft has proved ideal for
the movement of livestock,
which is a big market for
SAA.
“We do a lot of horses
between South Africa and
Mauritius and domestically
to and from Cape Town.
Three horses to a pallet
makes it a cost-competitive
option.”
The airline has seen
its charter business grow
significantly by looking at
markets like Rwanda and
the Congo, both of which
rely heavily on imports
and have limited widebody
aircraft providing scheduled
flights.
“At the moment we have
a Saturday open every week
for charters,” says Rossouw.
And the benefit of
using SAA is its staff and
infrastructure.
“We’ve got the plane,
we’ve got the crew and
we’ve got everything in
place at all major African
airports. There’s no need
to wait for traffic rights or
an FOP – it’s all there. And
while beyond four hours it
can become a challenge, the
airline can always make a
plan,” she said.
“The captain and crew are
also hugely accommodating
– they really create a miracle
for you, something which
was clearly evident during