Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) — Hong Kong's largest independent cargo handler — has launched its new Cool Chain Complex (CCC), providing a seamless handling process for temperature-controlled shipments.

Hactl said the facility is the largest at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and the first to include a dedicated climate-controlled facility for storing dangerous substances.

"The new CCC enables import shipments to be unloaded from aircraft, broken down, and either stored or handed to waiting customers within an entirely temperature-controlled environment," the statement said.

It said that exports enjoy a similar seamless temperature-controlled transit from warehouse to aircraft — all additional processes, such as check-weighing and X-ray screening, also take place within the CCC's controlled environment.

The CCC has been designed to minimise the total time and distance between aircraft and storage, with direct airside access and its own dedicated landside truck docks.

The Cool Chain Complex said three temperature zones (15°C, 2-8°C, and -25 to -15°C) cater for every type of commodity, and all CCC zones have real-time temperature monitoring and full CCTV coverage. 

In addition, the CCC features a dedicated area for dangerous substances, also with three separate temperature zones.

"This is a real game-changer in the handling of temperature-controlled shipments at Hong Kong's airport. In addition to offering a seamless, constant-climate handling capability, the Cool Chain Complex means Hactl is the first air cargo handler in Hong Kong to offer a dedicated storage area for hazardous substances, with precise temperature control," said Wilson Kwong, chief executive of Hactl.

This will allow dangerous pharmaceuticals and biological shipments to be stored under tightly regulated thermal conditions and security, achieving total safety and preserving product efficacy.

"Hactl continues to invest and innovate in order to achieve ever-better service standards, open up new business opportunities for its airline customers, and underpin Hong Kong's position as the world's number one air cargo hub. The Hactl Cool Chain Complex is further evidence of our long-term commitment to Hong Kong," Kwong added.

Hactl serves more than 100 airline companies and 1,000 freight forwarders.