Two international airports in Ethiopia are now equipped with dedicated state-of-the-art perishable cargo terminals, one at Bahir Dar Airport, the other at Mek’ele Airport.
Both terminals include cooling and refrigeration equipment, truck docks at landside, overhead and slide doors, lowering workstations, weighing systems, motor powered roller decks, ETV storage system with friction powered storage roller decks, and dolly docks at airside. The first ULD system was commissioned by SACO in June 2011, the second followed in February 2012. These handling and storage systems will enable local growers of flowers, fruits and vegetables to send their temperature sensitive products to overseas markets in the shortest possible time whilst keeping the cool chain intact.
Air Ghana Perishable Cargo Centre
Accra’s Kotoka International Airport now has a dedicated perishable air cargo terminal, mainly for the export of pineapple, mangoes, papaya, and vegetables. The terminal, financed by the Millennium Development Authority, includes cold store equipment, truck docks at landside, weighing systems, lowering ULD workstations, ULD storage systems for different temperature zones – each with an array of roller decks and castor decks, and dolly docks at airside. The equipment supplied by SACO was commissioned in November 2011 and is currently being used by Air Ghana.
USA
As a result of a rearrangement of facilities and runways at Chicago O’Hare Airport, United Airlines relocated their cargo handling activities to a newly constructed facility. Through Murata Machinery USA, SACO was awarded the contract for the supply of the ULD handling equipment, including powered roller decks at airside and truck docks landside. The equipment was supplied in September 2011 and commissioned in January 2012.