News / Dwindling airfreight capacity forces perishables shippers to try a dip in the ocean

© Andreas Häuslbetz

Things just got worse for South Africa’s perishables exporters: just as they were gearing up for the stone fruit season, struggling national carrier South African Airways (SAA) grounded its fleet.

The move was not unexpected. The airline, which has only once produced an annual profit since 1994, had filed for creditor protection in December, but the impact of Covid derailed plans for a restructure.

SAA has not operated commercial scheduled flights since March, so its capacity was already severely curtailed, but it ...