Durban’s air cargo industry is experiencing a gradual resurgence, with a 55% recovery in business attributed to the return of international and domestic airlines.
This resurgence has resulted in a 67% rebound in network traffic at King Shaka International Airport.
Since April 2022, the Dube TradePort Cargo Terminal has processed 10,997 tonnes of cargo, marking a 31% increase from the previous year.
Ricardo Isaac, Senior Manager of Cargo Development and Operations at the terminal, expressed confidence in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) air cargo market’s positive trajectory, emphasizing the correlation between airfreight capacity and cargo demand.
Isaac highlighted the terminal’s success in capturing over 60% of the KZN air cargo market between 2015 and 2020, driven by increased airfreight capacity facilitated by new passenger services.
Restoring Durban’s domestic and regional air services remains a priority to further stimulate cargo and passenger volumes.
Following Comair’s exit from the market, which created a capacity gap of approximately 38% at King Shaka International Airport, airlines like FlySafair, Airlink, CemAir, and Lift have stepped in to fill the void on domestic routes.
Additionally, the resumption of South African Airways (SAA) services has contributed to available capacity.
Airlink successfully relaunched the Durban-Harare route, and efforts are underway to reinstate the Durban-Lusaka route in collaboration with ProFlight Zambia.
The proactive measures taken by airlines and stakeholders signal a promising outlook for Durban’s air cargo and passenger markets.
