SATS subsidiary Asia Airfreight Terminal Co. Ltd. (AAT) has unveiled its new on-airport temperature-controlled facility, dubbed AAT COOLPORT, at Hong Kong airport, as the company looks to grow its handled volume for perishable and pharmaceutical air freight.

Parent company SATS, who increased its controlling stake at the Hong Kong ground handler last year, said the new facility was designed with reference to the COOLPORT facility at Singapore’s Changi Airport.

The AAT COOLPORT’s dedicated temperature-controlled zone will cover the entire cargo handling process including acceptance and delivery, build-up and breakdown, security screening and storage.

New features include temperature-controlled truck docks with dock shelters as well as a dedicated handling area for pharmaceuticals. Multi-tiered temperature zones down to -28°C are supported by real-time temperature and humidity monitoring systems, whilst cargo storage will be facilitated by an innovative palletised unit load device (ULD) system, which will ensure the speedy and easy movement of cargo.

“AAT COOLPORT is strategically designed to interface directly with the airside to facilitate seamless cargo flow. There is a dedicated handling area for pharmaceuticals to ensure the integrity of the cold chain when handling pharmaceutical products as they usually require more stringent temperature controls,” SATS explained.

The Hong Kong cold chain facility is fully certified with IATA CEIV Pharma, IATA CEIV Fresh, and WHO GDP Pharma accreditations.

SATS expects the facility to increase AAT’s handling capacity for temperature-sensitive cargo by 50 percent. The Singapore-based company increased its controlling stake to 65.4 percent in the previous financial year.