AfricaPress-Tanzania: AT long last air cargo business has been launched at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), creating huge business opportunities for horticultural products stakeholders.
Efforts by the Kilimanjaro Airports Development Company (KADCO) that manages the airports have finally paid off by signing an agreement with Ethiopian Airways that will be landing and taking off thrice a week, bringing in cargo and taking others for exports.
The first cargo plane, under the contract, a huge Boeing 747 landed at KIA at 2220hrs on Thursday loading onboard 27 tonnes of goods destined to European markets.
The good news comes as most international passenger planes have closed operations temporarily due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking after the plane had taken off with the first consignment, KADCO Acting Managing Director, Engineer Christopher Mukoma, said the step was very important and beneficial to stakeholders that were struggling with their goods, especially perishables that had to be taken to a neighbouring country to be transported to Europe, Asia and Americas.
The air cargo starts more than a year after completion of major renovation activities at the airport that started in 2015 until 2018, costing some 39.1 euros.
A cold room was also well renovated and now has a 110 tonnes capacity at a go.
Engineer Mukoma called on traders in different businesses to seize the opportunity to transport their goods, such as flowers, vegetables, fish and meat directly from KIA to destinations outside Africa.
He said KADCO was incurring losses by cancellation of passenger planes, but said better days lie ahead as the air cargo business pays much more.
“It is a huge triumph for us and our stakeholders; it is an opportune moment for traders to seize the opportunity they had wanted for a long time in vain. They were hapless as they had to struggle and take their goods to Kenya. Now the whole process is simplified; there’s no need to go around; use KIA for your exports. We have enough space for cargo here and a cold room for perishables,” said Engineer Mukoma.
He thanked all stakeholders who supported KADCO in its efforts to initiate air cargo, saying there were a lot of challenges and hurdles in the journey to such success.
He said the air cargo business would earn the country huge sums of money.
As per guidelines issued by the health ministers of the East African Community (EAC) member countries, health officials from KADCO will ensure crew for cargo planes are determined by the specifications of the aircraft and set international guidelines.
The ministers decided that cargo should be decontaminated as well so as to avoid Coronavirus cases.
KADCO Marketing Manager Ms Christina Mwakatobe called upon businesspersons to use the opportunity to fill the demand gap of horticultural products, fish and meat in Europe, Asia and Americas now that countries are hard hit by Covid-19.
Ms Mwakatobe explained that a committee was set up by KADCO, bringing in several stakeholders to find out the challenges that led to lack of air cargo business at KIA and find solutions for the same.
She said the stakeholders, including companies and some government institutions, cooperated well and ultimately operations had started.
Tanzania Horticulture Association (TAHA) Managing Director Ms Jaqueline Mkindi said the cargo plane operations at KIA was a huge milestone and comforting move for horticulture stakeholders, saying their customers abroad would now get their shipments on time, in good quality and without any disruptions.
The business starts just about three weeks since members of the Public Investment Committee (PIC) of the Tanzania Parliament called upon the government and its institutions and departments to offer full cooperation to KADCO so that it engages in cargo and perishable goods transportation.
