i rfreight export volumes are on the up and up, according to SACO CFR airfreight director Stephen Bishop.The company has seen volumes increase steadily each month since the beginning of the year, in line with increased capacity entering the market.“The ocean freight sector continues to see challenges, particularly with capacity constraints. This bodes well for airfreight as we are seeing an increased amount of shipments being converted to airfreight,” said Bishop. “Capacity out of South Africa from an airline perspective is increasing, albeit slowly, as additional f lights for the next rotation are introduced.”Megan Ekermans, route development coordinator, said further good news was that f lights were being kept on for the winter schedule. “We have had positive engagements with our core carriers leading up to our winter schedule. We are confident that these engagements will help us offer the best available solutions to our clients in the coming months.”The sector, however, is not without its challenges: Fuel surcharge increases, along with the sanctions imposed due to the Russia-Ukraine conf lict, have had an impact on prices, and rates remain high. “Capacity into certain areas is still a challenge, but with us having accounts with all the main carriers, we have options for clients and can come up with solutions,” said Ekermans.According to Bishop, growing exports remain a target for the company, and the focus is on sales and carrier support. "Capacity out of South Africa from an airline perspective is increasing, albeit slowly.– Stephen Bishop
