Ethiopian Airlines to open Tanzania’s horticulture to the world
What you need to know:
One of Africa's largest airlines plans to avail additional uplifts of perishable goods from Tanzania after learning of the low capacity of the carriers currently doing the same.
Arusha. Ethiopian Airlines says it is ready to uplift Tanzanian perishable horticultural exports to the markets overseas to beat the growing demand.
The move would reduce the trucking of the horticultural produce by exporters based in the northern regions to Nairobi where it is put on freighters to Europe.
"With its freighters and large terminal facilities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Cargo can connect Tanzania's exporters directly with the buyers abroad", said Ms Fitsmit Dejene, the airline's sales manager for Arusha and Kilimanjaro.
Africa's largest airline, she explained, would avail additional uplifts of perishable goods from Tanzania at competitive prices after learning of the low capacity of the carriers currently doing the same.
"The (horticulture) industry wrongly perceives that the main problem it faces is the cost and capacity of airfreight out of the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA)", she told The Citizen.
She said after the recent upgrading of its Bole International Airport hub, Ethiopian Airlines Cargo and Logistics now operated one of the largest trans-shipment terminals in Africa and has 12 air cargo freighters.
Through the terminal, the airline is serving over 44 global freight destinations has a capacity of cargo uplift of 400 tonnes a day " with same day connection to the rest of the world'.
The terminal, with a capacity to handle one million tonnes per year, has ample facilities already handling the perishable exports from Ethiopia's $ 230 million horticulture industry.
Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Norway, the Middle East and North America are the major export markets for horticultural products from Tanzania, currently estimated at $ 750 million per year.
The bulk of exports from Tanzania being cut flowers, green beans, fruits, seeds and spices are air freighted to the Amsterdam global hub through KIA..
The direct route has been dominated by the Royal Dutch Airline (KLM) which operates several daily flights to KIA and the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam.
Ms Dejene said the airline has discussed the low capacity of airlines air freighting perishable goods from Tanzania to the markets overseas with the horticultural stakeholders.
She hinted in the near future, Ethiopian Airlines can schedule freighter flights to Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam "so as to conveniently serve exporters both from the northern and southern regions".
