Dnata Cargo sets new benchmark in handling of goods

In an industry first, special thermal blankets will be used to maintain the temperatures of perishable products during the short handling process between the aircraft and the cargo terminals.

Developed for Dnata Cargo after extensive testing with various materials and prototypes, these unique thermal blankets guarantee the freshness and quality of perishable products in the most adverse weather conditions, insulating the cargo within a temperature variance of only plus or minus one degree centigrade during the entire ground handling process.

Adjustable to fit upper or lower deck-sized airline unit loading devices (ULDs), these blankets were designed for ease of use, are cost-effective and reusable.

Dnata will also introduce sophisticated electronic temperature probes, placed inside the ULDs of perishable cargo - another industry first. These probes record actual temperatures and upload the information to Dnata's computer systems, providing customers access to the shipment temperature throughout the ground handling process, thus ensuring full transparency, control and customer confidence.

In addition, Dnata will employ its expertise in express handling to speed up the entire ground handling process for perishables from the previous two hours to one hour.

Ismail Ali Albanna, Executive Vice-President for Dnata, said: "In tandem with Dubai's economic growth, the express cargo business is developing at a tremendous pace, and there is a demand for faster and better logistics services. We see a big opportunity in offering a unique service that handles perishable shipment with the same speed and efficiency devoted to express cargo."

To facilitate this effort, Dnata will deploy more specialised teams from Dnata's recently opened Express Handling Centre (EHC) at Dubai Cargo Village. These highly-skilled teams are already well-versed with all aspects of handling express shipments, and will now expand their scope to process perishable cargo with the same efficiency.

Equipped with advanced communication and tracking equipment linked real-time to Dnata's and the airport's computer systems, the EHC's transport teams operate a fleet of high-speed tow tractors, Rapid Delivery Vehicles and specially designed dollies that ensure a smooth and speedy link with the aircraft on ground and other terminals at the airport.

On receiving information on perishable shipments, a specialised 24-hour dispatch centre will assign a Dnata team member on the ramp to retrieve the cargo through CAMSYS - an integrated express cargo handling system designed for the EHC which utilises radio frequency data transmission on handheld terminals (HHTs) to control and monitor ramp operations.

Jean Pierre De Pauw, Senior Vice-President for Dnata Cargo, said: "Dnata is proud to present this innovative and cost-effective new service for perishable cargo to customers. That this value-add comes at no extra charge makes it even more unique. We keep a close ear to the ground for industry developments and are happy to provide a dramatically enhanced solution for logistics handling. We are currently progressing the procurement and recruitment process which we expect to complete by late October, following which this new service will be rolled out and we expect full implementation to be complete by December 1 this year."