King Shaka Airport adds to cargo terminal

IT has been open for less than a year and now South Africa’s King Shaka International Airport’s operators are enhancing the cargo terminal.

An overhead conveyor system, one of few such facilities globally, will be commissioned in April 2011 and Dube Trade Port (DTP), which comprises the airport, the trade zone, cyber port and a cargo handling facility, will also open a 20-foot container handling facility at the terminal in July.

The trade zone’s warehouse facility is fully operational and for the first time houses the local airfreight logistics industry under one roof.

The cargo terminal had handled more than 6,300 tons of cargo up to the end of February 2011, of which 4,550 tons were imports valued in excess of R180 million (US$26.1 million) and 1,750 tons were exports valued at approximately R60 million ($8.7 million).

In May this year, World Freight Services, the cargo terminal operator, and DTP will launch a trucking service, which will widen DTPs catchment area nationally. Air cargo road feeder services will be started on the Johannesburg-Durban route and will then be expanded to include other airports in South Africa.

“On the international front we will continue to engage with the carriers in Europe and the UK, India, southeast Asia and the Middle East. We are also happy to announce that Emirates Airlines will be introducing a double daily service to King Shaka International in October this year,” said KwaZulu-Natal tourism MEC Michael Mabuyakhulu.