The new 138,000 square foot facility was designed by a team of Swissport Cargo experts and features two cold storage areas, accommodating temperature ranges from 2˚C to 8˚C and 18˚C to 25 ˚C, respectively. The warehouse is also equipped with 35 truck docks and adjacent aircraft parking, complete with in-ground fuelling and power units.
An automated material handling system can accommodate over 120 ULDs simultaneously without any units touching the floor. This is achieved using pallet platforms and electronic ULD movers – an automated system which is the first of its kind in the region, according to the handler.
The opening of the facility follows a recent 15.3% year-on-year surge in cargo volumes, recorded in the first five months of 2017. According to the Chicago Department of Aviation, freight volumes rose to 756,447 tonnes during this period.
An opening ceremony for the new state-of-the-art facility was held on July 20 at the North Cargo Area of Chicago O’Hare airport, attended by airlines and airport officials amongst others.
