Air freight volumes through Durban Dube TradePort terminal spike

Air freight volumes through Dube TradePort’s cargo terminal at King Shaka International Airport, Durban increased 57 percent quarter-on-quarter from September to December 2023.

Port challenges continued to drive significant demand towards airfreight in January 2024, says an official release.

Volumes have risen significantly over the past six months as the effects of congestion and slow-throughput capacity at South Africa’s major ports ripples across the supply chain, the release added.

“This significant increase in airfreight has been observed across various industries, from perishables to automotive, the latter traditionally being reliant on ocean freight," says Ricardo Isaac, Senior Manager, Cargo Development and Operations, Dube Cargo Terminal. "This emphasises the need of these industries to ensure uninterrupted production and timely delivery to export markets.

"From September through to December 2023, we saw fruit exports to the Middle East and European markets double in volume compared with the same period last year.

"On the automotive side, in November, we saw volumes approximately 30 percent higher than normal being moved through our airfreight cargo terminal."

The trend shows that for time-sensitive commodities and in cases where production stoppage risks are heightened, having an efficient air option, such as the Dube Cargo Terminal, has become invaluable and remains an important part of the supply chain, Isaac added.