CFR focuses on Durban growth

In an exciting development,
CFR Freight is developing the
airfreight side of its business,
with Durban noted as a primary
opportunity in this expansion plan,
according to CFR general manager
- airfreight, Dave Graham.
“Durban is one of our fastestgrowing
export origins,” he told
FTW, “and we are concentrating
much of our effort in developing
that market.”
Part of that focus has been the
appointment of Chilton Corrigall
as Durban airfreight manager.
“We have also sub-leased
premises at the new King Shaka
International Airport (KSIA),”
Graham said, “and we will be
relocating from our present base at
Westville to KSIA, as soon as the
facilities open in August.”
Graham noted that Emirates
currently offered the only
scheduled longhaul service at the
new airport.
“But,” he added, “we expect
others to join in. We have a good
relationship with the Indian
carrier, Jet Airways, and we
expect that they will be looking
at Durban as a possible future
destination – where there is a big
Indian population as potential
passengers.”
Although Graham doesn’t
see KSIA replacing OR Tambo
International Airport (Ortia) in
Johannesburg as SA’s primary air
cargo hub, he notes that there are
quite a lot of air cargo exports
originating from Durban and that
the handling facilities at KSIA are
very much more state-of-the-art.
“We’re presently routing cargo
to Johannesburg for consolidation
and in order to leverage off higher
weight breaks,” Graham said.
“We have entered into an
agreement with a trucking
company to move this cargo and
will be sharing facilities with this
haulier. Through this relationship,
we will enjoy preferential rates
and are ensured of complete
control of our cargo.”
Ortia is also completely
congested, Graham added, with
the foreign airline cargo terminal
utterly jammed up.
“Durban is the third largest air
cargo source in the country –after
Johannesburg and Cape Town –
and it’s a fast growing market,
with a brand new local cargo
hub.”
CFR Freight has also recently
appointed Karen Schoeman as its
Cape Town airfreight manager.
“This,” Graham said, “completes
our airfreight management team.”