Swissport is growing its network of temperature-controlled warehouses with the latest opening of a 400 sqm facility at Dublin Airport, which it said is the first of its size at the Irish capital's airport.

The airport ground handling, lounge hospitality and cargo handling services provider said the new cold storeroom is fully dedicated to pharmaceuticals, being able to hold up to 200 palettes.

 [Photo: Swissport]

With the opening, Swissport adds handling capacity for major pharmaceutical suppliers in the region and boosts Ireland's position as one of the largest net exporters of medicinal and pharmaceutical products within the EU.

"We are delighted to open this brand-new facility which will play a vital role in the supply chain of pharmaceutical goods in Ireland", said Karen Cox, managing director and CEO of Swissport in the UK and Ireland.

"Our customers from the pharmaceutical industry can now also rely on our professional services for temperature-controlled freight at Dublin Airport, supporting them with high-quality handling services along the cool chain."

Swissport said the facility had been built in partnership with Celtic Cooling and consistently operated between 15 to 25 degrees Celsius.

It has been sensitively designed to minimise environmental impact via cooling technology that relies on propane gas (R290) for the tempering of the storage area. Compared to other refrigerants, propane has a very low global warming potential (GWP).

The warehouse also has an additional unit capable of operating between two to eight degrees.

At Dublin Airport, Swissport offers ground handling and air cargo services to more than 45 airline customers. Last year, the company handled 44,000 tons of cargo, with a workforce of some 700 employees.