Hainan Airlines has awarded a contract to SATS Ltd. (SATS) for cargo handling services in Saudi Arabia.

The Haikou, China-based airline, operates three Airbus passenger flights a week to Riyadh and Jeddah.

SATS said in a statement that the new contract will provide warehouse handling services for over 2,400 tonnes of import, export, and transit airfreight annually, including special cargo shipments.

"We welcome Hainan Airlines as a customer of SATS in Riyadh and Jeddah. The airline is an important and growing partner of the SATS Group globally, and we look forward to supporting its growth in Saudi Arabia through the provision of high-quality cargo handling services in our modern and well-equipped facilities," said Bob Chi, CEO of Gateway Services at SATS.

"This new contract also leverages the capabilities and reputation earned by Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a member of the SATS Group, for the cargo handling services it already provides for Hainan Airlines in Europe and North America," he added.

Jiandong Liu, general manager of the Ground Handling Management Division at Hainan Airlines, noted that it is important to Hainan Airlines and its customers to work with cargo handling partners that can "consistently meet the service standards we require."

"SATS and WFS share our approach and together, they now offer us the opportunity to work with a single partner at more major airports across our network," Liu said.

This business is handled across three SATS locations at Saudi Arabia's biggest cargo airports.

In Riyadh, the SATS Airfreight Terminal covers 30,000m2 and offers the capacity to process over 300,000 tonnes of cargo a year.

SATS also operates a second 30,000m2 warehouse facility in Damman as well as an 8,000m2 facility in Jeddah with a throughput capacity of 36,000 tonnes a year.

Across the three Saudi Arabia operations, SATS offers facilities to support a wide range of cargoes, including perishables chiller and freezer rooms, a temperature-controlled pharma facility, and a courier express zone.

The operations also incorporate areas for live animals, valuables, and dangerous goods shipments.

Additionally, SATS provides road freight services connecting the three airports as well as Medina Airport. 

SATS noted that has been present in the Saudi Arabian air cargo market for over six years and handles over 60,000 tonnes of cargo and mail per annum for 19 airline customers.