Arusha. Ethiopian
Airlines says it is ready to uplift Tanzanian perishable horticultural exports to the markets overseas to beat the growing demand.
The move would reduce the trucking of the horticultural produce by exporters based in the northern regions to Nairobi where it is put on freighters to Europe.
"With its freighters and large terminal facilities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Cargo can connect Tanzania's exporters directly with the buyers abroad", said Ms Fitsmit Dejene, the airline's sales manager for Arusha and Kilimanjaro.
Africa's largest airline, she explained, would avail additional uplifts of perishable goods from Tanzania at competitive prices after learning of the low capacity of the carriers currently doing the same.
"The (horticulture) industry wrongly perceives that the main problem it faces is the cost and capacity of airfreight out of the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA)", she told The Citizen.
She said after the recent upgrading of its Bole International Airport hub, Ethiopian Airlines Cargo and Logistics now operated one of the largest trans-shipment terminals in Africa and has 12 air cargo freighters.