Mumbai Airport introduces: New cold storage facility for import
Recently, Mumbai International Airport unveiled its new cold storage facility — ‘MIAL Import Cold Zone’. According to airport sources, it has been a critical industry requirement to enhance import cold storage capacity at MIAL import facility. Interestingly, the decision to create the state-of-the-art extended cold zone was taken by MIAL only in 2012. The new facility is capable of handling 860 MT of cargo at any given time with an annual throughput capacity of 75,000 MT. The facility was inaugurated by
Ravinder Saroop, Commissioner of Customs – Imports, Roopam Kapoor, Commissioner of Customs – Exports) and Rajeev Jain (CEO, MIAL).
At this cold zone, the storage condition can vary from +15 to +25 degrees Celsius. According to MIAL sources, this is the largest airport-based facility in India that can accommodate cargo received from eight cargo aircraft at a time.
The cold zone is a modular building constructed over an area of 1,400 sq mt with an operational area spread over 900 sq mt. “The facility is designed to handle all kinds of temperature-sensitive products, monitored with precise temperature devices,” MIAL sources claim.
Key facts
1. Four-level racking system with 1,148 skid positions
2. Holding capacity of each rack - 750 kgm
3. Three dedicated doors (3x4.5mt = 2 nos; 1.2 x 2.1 mt = 1 no.)
4. Volume capacity 1733 cubic mt 5. Dedicated material handling equipment: two articulated high-reach forklifts, hand pallet trucks, infrared thermometer, cooling system with inbuilt data-loggers
6. Dedicated storage area for hazardous goods
7. Continuous power supply with dedicated generator back up
8. Temperature display
9. Higher standards of safety & security and risk-assessment
10. 24x7 security surveillance by CCTV cameras and professional security personnel
service offered
1. Temperature recording at cargo acceptance
2. 24x7 temperature recording and monitoring
3. Cargo available for regulatory inspection within 6 hrs of receipt of ULDs and documents
4. Speedy transfer between storage location inspection area and delivery truck docks
5. Temperature record on request
6. Customised handling through key account and pre-alerts
7. Dedicated customer service cell 8. Online shipment status