Opportunity beckons as first cargo flight takes off in Kisumu
Boxes of green chillies are loaded onto a Kenya Airways aeroplane at Kisumu International Airport on January 8. It was the first cargo flight from Kisumu International Airport.
Kisumu International Airport’s cargo business kicked off on Saturday with an inaugural trip to the United Kingdom.
The move, which is meant to boost international trade, targets the export of up to 42 tonnes of fresh produce from Western Kenya and the East African region on a weekly basis.
Kenya Airways chief executive officer Allan Kilavuka while expressing the airline’s commitment to supporting the livelihoods of farmers, fish traders and exporters, said the produce will be ferried to various destinations in Europe and Asia.
“Kenya Airways has the capacity to ferry six tonnes of cargo every day and the challenge is now for farmers, aggregators and exporters to produce enough quantities to sustain our operations,” he said shortly before flagging off the KQ flight number 5Y-KYQ at the airport.
The plane, carrying one tonne of chillies, departed the lakeside city at 6.59pm.
Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o while lauding Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) for upgrading the airport to include freight services and cold rooms, said the move will go a long way in influencing policymakers and implementers.
“There's need to rethink agricultural policies from subsistence farming and establish a roadmap towards long-term agricultural production. This will not only spur investments and industrialisation but will catalyse job creation leading to sustainable livelihoods and reduce poverty in the region.
“The developments you see here today will create boundless opportunities for horticulture, fisheries and meat products from the region,” he said.
He noted that the establishment of a cargo village at the airport will bring together cargo airlines, freight forwarders, farmers, fish traders and airports to identify opportunities and generate new businesses.
KAA boss Alex Gitari said the new venture will boost the air cargo industry.
“Being cognisant of the fact that air cargo is an integral component of the aviation industry, KAA came up with a strategy whose goal is to improve our cargo handling capacity,” he said.
Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya chief executive Okisegere Ojepat said they are targeting to grow exports by between 12 to 20 per cent annually.
Lake Region Economic Bloc chairman Wycliffe Oparanya, who is the Kakamega County governor, said the move will allow the 14-member counties to access markets across the globe.
The fresh produce items in the region include avocados, fish, chillies, mangoes, pineapple, peanuts, bananas and traditional green vegetables.
The initiative has been made successful through a public-private partnership comprising the county government, Kisumu Lakefront Development Corporation, KAA and other stakeholders.
