Cargo Chat Edition 9

CAPACITY

Clients told us their prime concern over the peak period for express cargo was capacity We responded by temporarily introducing an Antonov AN32 to assist with moving the vast volumes of overnight express cargo being tendered for the freighter fleet. This temporary stablemate joins the three BidAir Cargoleased Boeing 737F freighters to provide additional overnight domestic capacity to cope with the volumes of cargo being carried during the busiest peak period. The Russian workhorse is lifting an additional five to seven tonnes every night (depending on volumetric or weight cargo) on the Johannesburg - Durban – Johannesburg route. “We’ve also taken on extra handling staff and the extra aircraft to sustain the service levels our clients demand,” says Karl Davids, Chief Operations Officer. Volumes are not the only challenge. The inordinately high temperatures in Gauteng affect aviation. The high altitude and hotter weather means lower air density which limits payload at take-off from O R Tambo International Airport “In some cases, we loaded cargo breakbulk aboard the aircraft to save the weight of the containers and accommodate more consignments for clients and their customers.” To ensure cargo care, staff travel aboard the freighters as an additional security measure in flight.