SATS announces cold-chain training institute
Eyeing the growing middle class demand in Asia for fresh food and pharmaceutical products, Singapore-based ground handler, SATS Ltd, has announced a new SATS Coolport Academy to build the capabilities of cold-chain professionals locally and in the region. It has also launched a one-stop e-Acceptance initiative, which will transform the process for the lodging of export cargo at its airfreight terminals at Changi Airport.
As Asia’s growing middle class demands more fresh food and pharmaceutical products, SATS is targeting the related cold-chain handling opportunity. To raise the standards of cold-chain handling in Singapore and the region, SATS is launching SATS Coolport Academy to serve as an independent training institute offering International Air Transport Association (IATA) certified and other related courses.
With this Academy, SATS becomes the first ground handling agent in Asia to offer specialised training in pharmaceutical handling, attesting to its expertise and reputation in delivering secure cold-chain solutions.
In conjunction with the launch, SATS’ perishable handling centre – SATS Coolport – has been appointed by IATA as its Regional Training Partner (RTP) in pharmaceutical handling. SATS is Asia Pacific’s first RTP in pharmaceutical handling to offer IATA-certified cold-chain related courses.
Following SATS Coolport’s recent certification as the world’s first Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) in pharmaceutical handling by IATA in November 2014, SATS Coolport Academy will also offer related training programmes to SATS joint venture companies across Asia.
“The shipping of pharmaceutical products is one of the most promising areas in the airfreight industry. This US$60 billion market is helping to compensate for the decline in other goods that had previously been shipped by air. Having SATS Coolport Academy established as an IATA Regional Training Partner in pharmaceutical handling will ensure that there will be sufficient talent in Singapore and the region to support the growth of this segment in the air cargo industry, and ensure the reliable transportation of temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products,” said Conrad Clifford, regional VP for Asia-Pacific, IATA.
SATS is also pioneering a one-stop e-Acceptance initiative, which will transform the process for the lodging of export cargo at its airfreight terminals and reinforce Changi’s position as a leading international air cargo hub.
“Air cargo still operates with procedures from an analogue age. Moving from paper to electronic processes will open up countless efficiencies and opportunities for improved service delivery. The industry goal is to cut average shipment times by up to 48 hours by 2020. The one-stop e-Acceptance initiative is a step in the right direction,” added Clifford.
The new SATS’ one-stop e-Acceptance initiative not only makes processing each transaction faster and less prone to human error, it also offers cargo agents live tracking, and enhances security via the system’s ability to authenticate users. Additionally, cargo agents can now process and deliver their shipments at a single physical location.
When fully implemented at the end of this year, this e-Acceptance project is expected to yield about 30 per cent improvement in productivity and will also reduce the industry’s carbon footprint, saving an estimated 600,000 sheets of paper annually.
“SATS is launching these initiatives in order to capitalise on the three billion people joining Asia’s middle classes over the next 15 years. The purchasing power of these three billion people will result in growing e-commerce; demand for safe, high quality food; and increased sales of pharmaceuticals. Air cargo in Asia will benefit from all three of these trends,” said Alex Hungate, president and CEO of SATS on the announcements.
“In order to win this new air cargo business, SATS is: investing in training our people to the highest levels in Asia; improving our processes by introducing electronic processing to eliminate paper and enhance productivity; and collaborating with our partners in the Singapore aviation community: CAAS, CAG, IATA, SAAA@Singapore and other industry stakeholders to accelerate the rate of adoption of these initiatives across the industry.”
