Cathay Pacific Services opens pharma handling centre
Fully temperature-controlled, 1,250-square-metre centre functional at Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal in Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific Services Ltd (CPSL) opened its newest facility at the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal, a fully temperature-controlled area of over 1,250 square metres dedicated to the handling of pharmaceutical products, earlier this month.
"The purpose-built pharma handling centre was designed and built with unique pharma-handling requirements in mind, taking advantage of the latest technologies and designs to offer peace of mind temperature-sensitive cargo solutions for customers," says a release from Cathay.
Features include:
Real time temperature monitoring
The web-based monitoring system facilitates real-time temperature and humidity management (with over 60 temperature sensors) to ensure all handling is under the controlled ambient temperature (15C to 25oC).
Temperature controlled dock shelter
The temperature-controlled lobby includes truck docks with inflatable shelters for virtually airtight sealing for vehicles, maintaining optimal temperature during acceptance and delivery.
Multiple charging points
Utilising an innovative suspended mobile power system including 45 movable charging points in the staging area to accommodate active container charging to support their continuous operation for onward flights.
Sustainability
The centre utilises non-ozone depleting HFC refrigerants, and has been built with 420 high-thermal insulation panels and inflatable dock shelters to be energy efficient.
"The new pharma handling centre is directly connected to the Container Handling System (CHS) to ensure prompt acceptance, storage and delivery and has been built to IATA CEIV Pharma standards. The new facility is capable of processing 235,000 tonnes of pharmaceuticals per year, doubling the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal's existing cold storage area and capacity. It is the largest dedicated pharma handling centre of any Hong Kong-based air cargo terminal."
The pharma handling centre is one part of CPSL's "Total Cold Chain Solution" ensuring valuable cold chain shipments remain at the optimal temperature from the moment they arrive at the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal to the moment they depart, transferring them as safely, efficiently and quickly as possible, the release added.
"Our investment in the new pharma handling centre demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement, ensuring that we can provide fast and dependable handling for the growing pharma market for many years to come," says Mark Watts, Chief Operating Officer, CPSL.
Tom Owen, chairman, CPSL adds: "This supports CPSL's vision to become the world's most customer-centric air cargo terminal operator and further strengthens the status of Hong Kong as a leading international aviation hub for temperature-controlled shipments."
CPSL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific Airways, operates the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal with an annual throughput of 2.7 million tonnes, the release said.
