Wesgro’s Cape Town Air Access hosted the 2nd annual Western Cape Air Cargo Conference on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The conference has brought together the industry and business leaders, airlines, government representatives and key stakeholders in the air cargo value chain to explore the future of air cargo in Cape Town and the Western Cape.
The Western Cape Air Cargo Conference was an opportunity to explore the future amidst South Africa’s seaport challenge. The gathering affected the imports and exports of the country, especially the agriculture sector, due to disruptions in the timely export of perishable goods.
Reportedly, there was a keen demand for air cargo transportation. While addressing the opening of the gathering, the CEO of Wesgro – Wrenelle Stander emphasised that the conference presented a great opportunity to shift air cargo business to the Western Cape. It boosted the exports and raised awareness of the air cargo offerings in the region.
As per the sources, the conference featured panel discussion on the future of air cargo transportation in the Western Cape. The panellists included the Group Executive Airport Operations Management at Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) – Terence Delomoney, Chief Director for Cape Winelands Airport – Adele Klingenberg and Ilse van Schalkwyk.
Besides the panellists the other key speakers included Mayoral Committee Member – Alderman James Vos, Regional Director for Operations Safety and Security at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – Kashif Khalid, Chief Director of Economic Sector Support at the Western Cape Government – Ilse van Schalkwyk and CEO of Swissport South Africa – Khangi Khoza.
The key themes included in the discussion were sustainability, investment in airport facilities and cargo terminals, strategies to drive air cargo transportation growth in support of economic development and the vital role of public-private collaboration.
Member of the Mayoral Committee of Cape Town for Economic Growth – Alderman James Vos addressed the imperative for the best possible systems, structures and programmes to be put in place to boost exports and ultimately, job creation and economic growth.
He specifically mentioned the importance of innovative initiatives such as Cape Town Air Access powered by Wesgro and the Cape Trade Portal.
Alderman Vos highlighted the initiatives, considering them as some of the great contributors for ensuring the travel and trade in Cape Town and Western Cape literally and figuratively is taking flight.