Swissport, the global leader in airport ground services and air cargo handling, has recently invested in upgrading its cargo center at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi, Kenya. The expansion project includes the addition of a new 750sqm interconnected cold storeroom with direct access to the airside from the perishable goods hub.
The new cold storeroom has a capacity of 110 aircraft pallets and is equipped with a flatbed and ball-mat roller system for efficient handling of shipments. Four of the six cold storerooms are dedicated to perishable cargo, while the remaining two are allocated for pharmaceuticals.
Last year, Swissport in Kenya handled 55,000 tons of cargo, with a significant portion consisting of perishable goods. The company’s expertise in handling fresh cut flowers, a delicate product that requires specialized packaging, has been particularly successful.
Swissport’s facilities in Nairobi are IATA CEIV Fresh and IATA CEIV Pharma certified meaning the facilities in Nairobi are certified for handling fresh and pharmaceutical products, and they also have secure areas for handling dangerous goods.
To further enhance its capabilities, Swissport has installed a vacuum cooler that can rapidly cool down temperature-sensitive cargo, reducing handling times and minimizing the risk of temperature fluctuations.
The cooler has the ability to cool down two maindeck pallets from a starting temperature of 24 degrees Celsius to two degrees Celsius in 22 minutes.
“The vacuum cooler will further shorten handling times and mitigate the risk of temperature impact on sensitive cargo,” Swissport said.
