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Boost for Kenyan exporters as airline freight charges drop by 50%

Freight charges at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) have come down by almost half due to increased capacity of airlines amid declining demand for cargo, giving exporters a huge boost, Business Daily reports. 

JKIA has witnessed a sharp growth in capacity over the last one month, with the number of cargo airlines now standing at almost 12 from a low of three when the Covid-19 outbreak struck, pushing the cost of freight down to Sh236 [2.21 USD] for a kilo from Sh525 [4.91 USD] for the same quantity previously.

The move comes as a boost to players in the horticulture industry who have been grappling with high charges owing to limited capacity to ferry their produce to European countries.

“The increased capacity has come as a blessing to us because the freight charges have significantly dropped in the last couple of days as more airlines now fly to JKIA,” said Ojepat Okesegere, chief executive officer of Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya.