KEVIN MAYHEW THE CONSEQUENCES of failure to detect dangerous cargo during scanning and internal checking procedures are becoming more and more onerous, according to the marketing director international of Express Air Services (EAS), Basson Piek. Express Air Services provides General Sales and Servicing Agency (GSSA) and Cargo Handling Agency (CHA) services as well as an independent comprehensive airline cargo outsourcing concept to domestic, regional and international airlines. It runs the total cargo division for some of its southern African airline clients leaving them free to concentrate on passenger volumes. EAS handles 29 000 tons of general, perishable and even game cargo a year locally and internationally and now provides a 100% check for dangerous goods. Most of this is done using traditional advanced x-ray equipment scanning processes at its airport-based warehouses in Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth, George, East London and Cape Town as well as branches in Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. “Handling of dangerous goods that are declared as such is the easy part as there are strict procedures in place to regulate transportation. Our headache is to make sure that we intercept any dangerous goods being passed wittingly or unwittingly as normal DGR compliant cargo. “Obviously the airlines take a very hard line if we slip up so we have x-ray scanning facilities and alternatives to make sure that each of the thousands of items we handle is thoroughly checked without impacting on the delivery time. A slip-up can cost lives which is why we have an obligation to make sure that all parties involved in the movement of freight take their role very seriously, especially given the global nature of air traffic safety in Africa,” he explained. The company works closely with the South African Civil Aviation Authority to identify individuals and companies that consistently try to avoid complying with IATA’s regulations. EAS currently handles over 500 flights a week out of its nine airport based facilities in South Africa.
