Chan says whenever any new ramp handling staff is employed by JASL, the staff is given adequate basic training to ensure that he knows what his job entails, and how to handle the ULD so that the chances of thembeing damaged is greatly reduced.

“Part of the training is through classroom lectures and then they go out to the ramp and get on-the-job training,” Chan says, adding that the trainee will be attached to a supervisor who will guide the new staff step by step until he is familiar with the job.

Training includes guiding the new staff to understand the ULD parts such as base pallet edges, corners, outboard and slanted panels which can be damaged if poorly handled. A well defined reporting system is also adopted by JASL for recording any damages to ULDs, and photographs are taken with digital cameras to record any such damage making assessments easier.

JASL, which serves over 40 airline companies in Hong Kong, uses specially designed ULD loaders and roller dollies for handling ULDs, while lifting ULDs with fork lifts is prohibited in the warehouses, thus reducing the damage rate to ULDs.

In 2010, JASL has been appointed to provide services to Royal Jordanian Airline, Eastar Jet and Air Mauritius. In October last year, JASL was appointed to serve Zest Air.

Chan says that most of the ULDs in and out of Hong Kong are loaded on long haul wide-bodied aircraft, but less ULDs are transported in and out of Mainland China because they use more narrowbodied aircraft.

Asked about handling of perishables, Chan says that JASL does handle such thermal control consignments such as fish and pharmaceutical products, although the volume was small.

“Quite a number of perishable consignments are loaded in foam boxes using the traditional method for transporting perishables that require temperature control,” he says, adding that JASL has the capability to handle more of such products if there was such demand.

The JASL brand of operating companies has been providing services at Hong Kong International Airport for over 60 years. Its services range from passenger handling to ramp, cargo and operations control, among others. JASL and JATS were among the pioneers partnering with IATA to development the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operation (ISAGO) programme and both were the first accredited companies in the Asia Pacific region since September 2008. In 2008, JASL Cargo, the group’s cargo handling division, handled more than 404,000 tonnes of air cargo for over 20 airlines.

Hactl
Like JASL, Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Ltd (Hactl) offers on-the-job training on the handling of livestock, dangerous goods, perishable goods and goods that require cool storage. Hactl does not sub-contract the handling of perishable goods to other companies, preferring to handle them in-house on behalf of its airline customers.

Lilian Chan, general manager of Marketing and Customer Service at Hactl, says as part of Hactl’s sophisticated cargo handling system, the Container Storage System (CSS) manages ULD movements, which are driven by automated power rollers. The design ensures that the ULDs would not be damaged.

“To prevent damage to the ULDs and ensure serviceability, Hactl’s Empty ULD Control Centre is responsible for consolidating ULD damage reports from internal departments, investigate the cause of damage and initiate followup action with the related departments and the airline customers,” Chan said.