AFRICA is primed for a 'very high level of growth' though its biggest challenge for air cargo is its lack of intra-continental connectivity, says swissport Kenya CEO Racheal Ndegwa.
Closer to home, she tells Mumbai's Logistics Update Africa, how flowers and EU-bound horticultural produce as well as other perishables must receive priority.
'We see a trend of growers, agents and forwarders insisting on their cargo being handled in a temperature-controlled environment,' Ms Ndegwa said.
This year Swissport will further improve the warehouse facilities and management of the cool chain by creating a cold room Fastlane, which will enable perishable cargo to be in a temperature-controlled environment from acceptance on the landside to dispatch on the airside.
'In addition to this and in collaboration with our partners, we will be installing a vacuum cooler in the perishable centre, to further support the cool chain process for perishable cargo,' she said.
Ms Ndegwa explained Swissport Kenya has been awarded the IATA CEIV Fresh certification for perishable cargo, making it the only ground handler with this certification at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Moreover, Swissport Kenya has the IATA CEIV Pharma (Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators) and Fresh certifications - the only for but all sub-Saharan Africa.
'But I would like to talk about the air cargo market in East Africa, particularly Kenya. Africa's air freight market contributes 1.9 per cent of the world's air freight traffic, according to the IATA 2021 statistics.
'For me, this percentage represents a great opportunity for growth of Swissport in Kenya and beyond. I believe the challenge we are facing in Africa in terms of air freight is connectivity - we must increase intra Africa traffic to allow more efficient and fluent air transport.
'With the launch of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and new trade flows that have emerged since the onset of the pandemic (eCommerce, PPE movement, vaccines),' Ms Ndegwa said.
SeaNews Turkey
Closer to home, she tells Mumbai's Logistics Update Africa, how flowers and EU-bound horticultural produce as well as other perishables must receive priority.
'We see a trend of growers, agents and forwarders insisting on their cargo being handled in a temperature-controlled environment,' Ms Ndegwa said.
This year Swissport will further improve the warehouse facilities and management of the cool chain by creating a cold room Fastlane, which will enable perishable cargo to be in a temperature-controlled environment from acceptance on the landside to dispatch on the airside.
'In addition to this and in collaboration with our partners, we will be installing a vacuum cooler in the perishable centre, to further support the cool chain process for perishable cargo,' she said.
Ms Ndegwa explained Swissport Kenya has been awarded the IATA CEIV Fresh certification for perishable cargo, making it the only ground handler with this certification at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Moreover, Swissport Kenya has the IATA CEIV Pharma (Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators) and Fresh certifications - the only for but all sub-Saharan Africa.
'But I would like to talk about the air cargo market in East Africa, particularly Kenya. Africa's air freight market contributes 1.9 per cent of the world's air freight traffic, according to the IATA 2021 statistics.
'For me, this percentage represents a great opportunity for growth of Swissport in Kenya and beyond. I believe the challenge we are facing in Africa in terms of air freight is connectivity - we must increase intra Africa traffic to allow more efficient and fluent air transport.
'With the launch of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and new trade flows that have emerged since the onset of the pandemic (eCommerce, PPE movement, vaccines),' Ms Ndegwa said.
SeaNews Turkey
