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Brussels Airlines' African airfreight totals 300,000 tonnes in 15 years

BRUSSELS Airlines is celebrating its 15th anniversary on the African continent during which time it has transported 300,000 tonnes of cargo to and from African destinations.

The airline is one of the leading European operators in Africa, both in in freight activity and passenger transport, after developing an African hub atBrussels Airport, Mumbai's Stat Trade Times reported.

In 2002, the carrier's African network consisted of 13 destinations to: Kinshasa, Dakar, Banjul, Conakry, Monrovia, Douala, Yaounde, Kigali, Entebbe, Nairobi, Abidjan, Luanda and Freetown. These destinations were served with 3 long-haul aircraft, operating 38 flights per week.

Fifteen years later, Brussels Airlines' African offer consists of 82 flights per week to 17 destinations. Now operated with seven aircraft, the African flight programme was extended to Bujumbura, Cotonou, Accra and Ouagadougou.

The bellies of the planes flying from or to Africa are mainly loaded with fresh vegetables and fruits, fish, spare parts, mail and medical shipments. Brussels Airlines Cargo developed, for example, a successful 'Fresh to shelve' service that allows African farmers to send their fruits and vegetables to Europe only a few hours after the harvest.

For pharmaceutical shipments, Brussels Airlines Cargo invested in solutions that can guarantee optimal temperature control during transport.