Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP) has taken the decision to suspend freighter flights to Harare in Zimbabwe as part of a wider network realignment, leaving exporters searching for alternative routes.
In a statement, the carrier said that the realignment is in response to evolving economic, operational and market conditions.
"This decision is not solely linked to Zimbabwe but is part of broader capacity challenges affecting the entire eastern Africa region," AFKLMP said.
"Limited southbound demand into South Africa has impacted the viability of freighter operations, while increased demand for perishable exports to the Middle East has further constrained available capacity to Europe.
"Despite these challenges, we remain committed to serving Africa through our optimised freighter routes via Johannesburg and Nairobi, supported by ample belly capacity on Air France and KLM passenger flights."
The Harare flights are included in a loop that calls: Schiphol, Johannesburg, Harare, Nairobi, Schiphol.
Local media report that flights to Harare will be dropped from April. The carrier also lists Cairo as a fourth African destination.
While volumes out of Africa continue to wane, demand out of Asia has surged over the last couple of years with capacity constraints pushing up prices.
Last year, Ryan Keyrouse of consultant and data provider Rotate warned that carriers may need to move freighter capacity out of the African market to meet demand out of high-margin origins in Asia.
Indeed, the need to satisfy demand out of Asia is one of the reasons for the move according to local press.
The KLM/Martinair freighters are also growing older - the group has new freighters on order - meaning they spend more time out of action for checks and maintenance.
KLM's three Boeing 747-400 freighters are all more than 20 years old, while Martinair's 747-400 is approaching 35 years.
Zimbabwe's Horticultural Development Council (HDC) said it expected short-term disruption but said it hoped alternative routes could be found. It added that exports out of the country had declined in recent years and as a result, it was harder to attract airlines.
The suspension of KLM/MartinAir’s Harare service is a concern for Zimbabwe’s horticulture industry, a key economic driver.
"For 27 years, KLM has been a critical link to Amsterdam, the gateway for Zimbabwean produce into the European Union (EU)," HDC said.
"Airlines are facing the impact of EU carbon regulations and operational challenges with their fleets. This has reduced cargo capacity.
"On our part, declining production of key crops (e.g., peas, flowers) in 2022/23 weakened Zimbabwe’s negotiating power for scarce cargo space.
"Our farmers face rising costs, including the 25% compulsory liquidation, the IMTT (transaction tax), and excessive regulatory fees. This means we’re not as competitive as we can be.
"Despite short-term disruptions from [KLM’s] decision, it’s not the end of the world - options are available, including regional hubs and routes via Ethiopia, Doha, and Dubai.
"We will keep engaging the Government to advocate for policy reforms to attract investment and strengthen Zimbabwe’s global market position."
Last year, AFKLMP was one of a number of carriers to readjust its network out of South America in order to add capacity to Asia.
