SANTIAGO based LATAM Airlines Group, Latin America’s biggest air carrier, has opened a US$11.5 million domestic cargo facility at Guarulhos Airport in Sao Paulo, reports Atlanta area Air Cargo World.
The 11-metre high facility covers 161,458 square feet replaces the old warehouse that covered 105,000 square feet.
It can handle a 1,000 tonnes of cargo daily and allows for the simultaneous handling of cargo transported by freighters or in bellyholds.
“Belly hold cargo” is cargo that is stowed in the bottom of passenger aircrafts.
It has 14 entry doors, with individual scales for incoming cargo, plus 12 exit doors with height-adjustable boarding platforms and 14 metal storage platforms able to hold up to 83,334 pounds (37,800 kilogrammes).
Fully automated, with an intelligent identification system, cargo and platforms are labeled and tracked using bar codes.
This permits products to be easily tracked and traced. The facility includes a 1,000 square foot cold storage area, with 76 rack positions, designed to store fish and pharmaceuticals.
Perishables, along with electronic products, auto parts and machinery, are the most commonly transported products through Guarulhos, that mostly caters northern and northeastern Brazil.
Guarulhos Airport’s cargo imports and exports grew three per cent, while the overall market dropped by the same amount in 2014. Throughout the year, the airport oversaw more than 255,000 tonnes of international cargo, compared to 248,000 in 2013. The airport handled 508,000 tons in 2014, maintaining a 33 per cent market share.
