COURIER CONSOLIDATOR Transit will invest R4m in X-ray machines for its nine branch offices in South Africa. It’s part of the company’s move towards compliance with the new national and international ‘Security 108’ international aviation security guideline which the SA Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), along with the world’s other aviation control bodies, is in the process of implementing. Mandatory identification of all goods placed on aircraft is a key element of the new regulations which will require the origin of goods to be verified and all goods screened before being handed over as cargo, says managing member of the Transit Group’s air courier facilities, Tim Snell. All of the company’s security management and 80 staff in its nine South African branches are being trained in terms of new security procedures, he said. Now in its 6th year of operation, Transit moves 400 tons of courier traffic a month by air. It will shortly open offices in the Mpumalanga capital Nelspruit – its 10th centre in South Africa - and is considering opening branch offices in Upington in Northern Cape Province, and Polokwane (Pietersburg, Limpopo). Documents, spare parts, critical pharmaceuticals, and computer equipment make up the bulk of its business. The company provides a night-time express and normal consolidation service, and a same-day express service, moving 20t a day of which 18t is night-time express. Its domestic operation consolidates freight for SAA, Nationwide Airways and Airlink and is SAA’s biggest courier client after the Post Office.
