South Africa’s newest Cargo Airline – Suid Cargo Airlines, will start non-scheduled flights from its hub at OR Tambo International Airport in the 2^nd quarter of this year utilising a leased Boeing 727-200F from Kenya’s Astral Aviation on charter basis.

The announcement was made at the Africa 2023 event in Johannesburg. Thomas Honiball, the account manager and CEO, mentioned that it plans to acquire additional freighters in 2024 that will comprise of narrow body freighters like Airbus 320F or Boeing 737-800F.

Suid Cargo will be entering into a long term partnership with freight forwarders, consolidators, integrators and others with in order to interline with African and Foreign Airlines for the promotion of the Johannesburg Hub with the plans of transitioning to scheduled services in 2024 that would also include operating a domestic network.

“We are honoured to support South Africa’s newest Cargo Airline, Suid Cargo Airlines, initially with our Boeing 727-200F and to offer our fleet of B747-400F, B767F and B757F on charter basis, which will enable the start up Cargo airline to scale its operations to cover Southern, West and East Africa including Asia, Middle East and Europe,” Astral Aviation’s CEO, Sanjeev Gadhia said.

Kevin Moodley, Commercial Director of Suid Cargo Airlines, explained that the new airline will promote exports from South Africa in addition to transit shipments to over 20 African destinations, and will have a unique Sea-Air Cargo product from the Ports of Durban and Cape Town thus reducing transit time to the land locked regions in Africa.