After a slow start to the year, tonnage has picked up again though yields are still a problem, Cargolux Airlines International country manager – South Africa, Stuart Gow tells Air Cargo Week.

He says the year started slowly, as to be expected over the Christmas/New Year period but there has been a strong increase in tonnage until the end of June, which was better than last year.

Commenting on the outlook, Gow says: “While the first half looked good, we are now entering the usual quiet period between July and mid-September. After that, we expect the markets to be strong until year end.”

He describes the import market as “very diverse”, mainly consisting of high value finished products, computer equipment, machinery, chemicals and temperature controlled pharmaceuticals, while automotive equipment is also an important commodity.

Oversized shipments, automotive parts, aircraft engines and mining equipment are Cargolux’s main focuses for exports, and Gow says: “Our advantage is the operation of our 747 fleet that is ideally suited for large, heavy and outsized shipment that can be accommodated by the aircraft’s nose door.”

Gow says South African operations are running smoothly and successfully, saying: “For Cargolux, the South African market looks very positive and we foresee good development potential in the coming years.”

“For the immediate future, we have to overcome the technical recession that the country has recently entered into, but going forward we believe the airfreight demand will be strong in both directions” he adds.