ACP Worldwide has been appointed as the general sales agent (GSA) across South Africa for Saudia Cargo, which became effective from 1 August this year.
Saudia Cargo currently operates three times weekly Boeing 747 Freighter flights from Johannesburg to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Amsterdam, which are shared frequencies with Nairobi.
In addition to this freighter capacity, ACP Worldwide will also be able to sell bellyhold space on the carrier’s three times weekly B777-200 widebody flights between Johannesburg and Jeddah. This offers a total 50 tonnes of lower deck cargo capacity per week.
ACP Worldwide country manager for South Africa, Dawn Bailey, explains: “Following a competitive tender process where we were able to demonstrate our depth of knowledge and professionalism, we were delighted to win the Saudia Cargo business.”
Bailey adds: “With a flourishing requirement for fresh produce in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, commodities which are likely to prove popular exported from South Africa include fruit, vegetables, meat, flowers.”
The main business from South Africa is destined for the three principal hubs in Saudi Arabia of Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam with onward traffic to beyond network points such as Amsterdam, London, Brussels and Khartoum also likely to feature.
In response to taking over as the GSA in South Africa for Saudia Cargo, ACP’s Johannesburg based team has deployed additional reservations and operations staff who will be dedicated to the portfolio.
Saudia Cargo regional director for Africa, Ken Mbogo, says: “With their considerable experience of our market and long-established reputation, we believe ACP is the right partner to help drive our business forward and deliver on our ambitious growth targets in the South African airfreight market.”
