SINGAPORE AIRLINES has placed a self-imposed embargo on the carriage from South Africa of cargo listed under the dangerous goods heading.
We have been instructed by our head office in Singapore to stop the carriage of this type of consignment, says JP Cano, the airline's South African cargo manager.
Three unnamed local forwarding agents are the culprits, having supplied incorrect documentation in each instance, and which has resulted in Cano calling for immediate changes in the handling of these goods.
I know that the Civil Aviation Authority is doing good work, along with SAA, and the sooner they put new regulations and fines in place the better it will be for the carriers as a whole, he says.
The problem appears to be a lack of knowledge, or even an unwillingness to gain it, among shippers in this country. Many are unaware of the dangers which exist and more training is needed.
We overfly Indian air space and that is one nation where extreme strictness is observed in the carriage of dangerous goods. There is no way we want to impair our relationship with the Indian government, especially when taking into account the limited amount of dangerous goods we are called on to carry from South Africa, he says.
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