8 LUA JAN - FEB 2018
CoVer StorY
“Astral currently operates 2 B747-
400F from its Liege Hub to West and
East Africa with its partner, Network
Airline Management, who also operate
an additional 3 x MD-11F on the same
route. There will be a likelihood that
as demand increases, there will be
additional routes which will be planned
in 2018,” said Gadhia.
While most foreign carriers are
reducing their capacity to Africa, Astral
Aviation remains ‘cautiously optimistic’ of
positive growth in perishable exports to
Europe and a strong south-bound demand
from Europe to West and East Africa,
fuelled by the growth in consumer demand
for e-commerce and oil and gas equipment
due to the improved fuel-prices.
Meanwhile, Cargolux added two new
destinations to its Africa network in 2017 in
an effort to capitalise on demand for mining
equipment and high-tech consumer goods.
The Luxembourg-based airline added a new
call to Douala in Cameroon on October
3 and Lubumbashi in the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) on September- These two new destinations are added
to Cargolux’s existing 33 destinations on the
African continent.
Cargolux sees promising potential for
growth in the region. With its own road
feeder services, the company is also able
to offer fast and efficient connections
to Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital and
second-largest city. Import commodities
for Cargolux include hi-tech goods,
agricultural products and machinery,
while export shipments are mainly
perishables; fruit and vegetables for
European consumers.
Astral currently
operates 2 B747-
400F from its
Liege Hub to West
and East Africa
with its partner,
NAM. There will
be a likelihood
that as demand
increases, there
will be additional
routes which will
be planned in
2018.United States and Asia as well as across
the Cargolux network worldwide,” said
Jonathan Clark, regional director Africa,
Cargolux in a press statement.
One positive spot for the African
market has been the growth of
e-commerce. Consequently, as Africa
continues to grow the omni-fulfilment
and B2C sectors, opportunities across the
continent are very promising.
“South Africa continues to be the hub
for the region, and on most routes, it is
more cost-effective to send shipments
via Johannesburg, as we can often get
better rates than sending directly to final
destination. At Tigers, we always aim
to stand out through our services by
paying close attention to detail. Over the
last eight years, Tigers has progressed
to e-commerce, giving us a significant
competitive edge for the future,” said Paul
Lawrence, managing director, Tigers SA.
Tigers actively transports project cargo,
including art items, such as large bronze
sculptures, and race cars from South
Africa to the UK and Germany.
Lawrence expects “good growth” for
Tiger Fresh, the perishables division
of Tigers. “We recently opened a
temperature-controlled wine cooler
storage facility in the UK, focusing
on the growth of specialised products
of the South Africa-EU trade lane,
adding value to our customers with our
unique value proposition. We obtained
licenses to store and distribute wine
and spirits in the UK, Germany and the
Netherlands. We are excited about the
upcoming Tigers eShop plans for the
EU, which will allow our customers’
brands to expand in the EU through our
platform,” Lawrence added.StRIkIng thE RIght
tOnE FOR FUtURE tRAdE
RElAtIOnS
The future direction of the Africa–EU
partnership will largely be shaped by the
agreement that will replace the Cotonou
Accord, which expires in 2020. Talks are
due to start in coming months. Decision-
makers of the African, Caribbean and
Pacific Group of States acknowledge that
the cornerstone of future ACP-EU trade
relations will likely be the reciprocal
but asymmetric Economic Partnership
Agreements (EPAs), for export growth
and diversification.The carrier delivers range of diverse
shipments, from perishables, fruit and
flowers to heavy machinery for the oil and
gas industry on the continent.
“Africa has always been and will always
be an important market for Cargolux
and we are happy to be able to support
the continent’s trade lanes to Europe, theSAnjEEV gAdhIA
AStRAl AVIAtIOn