Page 61 - World Airnews Magazine May 2020 Edition

NEWS DIGITAL

AIR CARGO, LOGISTICS CRUCIAL

IN MITIGATING PANDEMIC

IMPACTS

Stakeholders urge collaboration, technology to keep essential
goods supply chains moving

The COVID-19 pandemic and
global lockdowns have challenged
Africa’s air cargo and logistics
stakeholders in recent weeks, but
through collaboration, agility and the
use of digital technologies, they are
ably delivering on their mandate to
supply critical goods.
This is according to industry players
who participated in a webinar hosted
by Logistics Update Africa, partners of
air cargo Africa, the sector’s leading for both commercial and humanitarian new regulations that restrict movement
industry exhibition and conference, on how purposes. “A key lesson in this time has across borders or during certain hours of
last-mile delivery services can keep up with been the need for solid business conti- the day. However, close collaboration and
Covid-19 demand for critical medical and nuity plans to mitigate risk and support consultation with governments and value
food shipments. stakeholders,” he said. On the question chains had helped to overcome last mile
Speakers from airports authorities, of increasing costs, he noted: “Scarcity challenges.
logistics solutions providers and e-com- creates increasing prices, and increases Kagure Wamunyu, Chief Strategy Officer
merce companies in Kenya, Nigeria and the risk of spoilage, so this is unavoidable. at Kobo360, said digital collaboration
South Africa noted that adapting to the However, we hope to see demand and via Kobo360’s aggregation platform had
new realities of closed air lanes and new supply coming back to equilibrium when we enabled logistics services to maximize
logistics restrictions had demanded agility return to normalcy. A crisis is not a time to capacity and avoid delays that could have
and collaboration. However, the same compete, but to collaborate to save lives.” increased costs and slowed the delivery of
collaboration and agility would serve the With reports indicating that air cargo essential goods. “For example, truck drivers
industry well when normalcy returns, they capacity remains 35% lower than last could be required to go into quarantine
said. year across all trade lanes around the for 14 days when crossing a border, so by
With passenger flights grounded and world, global stakeholders and industry sharing information and working together,
only limited cargo flights landing, airports bodies have also emphasized the need for companies can arrange for a local driver to
authorities in South Africa and Kenya said industry collaboration and communication. take over at the border, to avoid the delay.”
they were seeing a dramatic drop in activity The International Air Cargo Association Tolulope George-Yanwah, Country
at airports. (TIACA) has urged the air cargo industry Manager Nigeria at Jumia Services, said the
Nina Engelbrecht-Malherbe, Senior to collaborate to keep fuelling trade and current crisis was underlining the critical
Specialist - Cargo at Airports Company ensuring the supply of critical goods, while role e-commerce plays, and logistics has
South Africa said traffic at OR Tambo the International Air Transport Association been its enabler.
international airport had dropped from (IATA) has called for greater coordination Suzette Scheepers, CEO of Messe
around 650 movements per day to around between governments to ensure that air Muenchen South Africa, organisers of air
30 - 40 per day. freight can continue to flow. cargo Africa, says supply chains are more
“What’s keeping us busy is the essentials, important than ever before.
and we are even seeing passenger aircraft OVERCOMING LAST MILE CHALLENGES Air cargo Africa, to be staged in
now transporting essential goods in and While fewer flights mean the potential for Johannesburg from February 9-11 2021,
out of airports, so the cargo precincts are increased efficiency in offloading and distri- will bring together industry stakeholders
still abuzz.” bution of goods, lockdowns and restriction from across the value chain to discuss the
Jacob Bwana, Commercial Manager Cargo of movement have created bottlenecks challenges, solutions and opportunities in a
at the Kenya Airports Authority, said the and challenges for road freight and last fast changing market. Q
pandemic had illustrated that air cargo and mile players, the speakers said. Among For more information, go to https://
its associated logistics network was critical these challenges was compliance with aircargoafrica.aero/

World Airnews | May Extra 2020
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