The LATAM Airlines Group has opened its largest cargo facility in Brazil, at Guarulhos Airport in São Paulo. The US$11.5 million facility, intended to be used exclusively for domestic cargo, has a total surface area of 161,458 square feet. The terminal provides significant new services and much more space than the old facility, which had a total surface area of about 105,000 square feet.
The largest and most modern cargo terminal that LATAM owns in Brazil, the facility will have the capacity to handle more than 1,000 tonnes of cargo daily. At 36 feet in height, the terminal allows for the simultaneous handling of cargo transported by freighters or in bellies. There are 14 entry doors, with individual scales for incoming cargo, plus 12 exit doors – all with height-adjustable boarding platforms and 14 metal storage platforms able to hold up to 83,334 pounds.
Keeping in step with technology, the new terminal is fully automated, with an intelligent identification system. Cargo and platforms are labeled and tracked using bar codes, allowing for products to be easily located throughout the supply chain. A 1,000 square foot cold storage area, with 76 rack positions, is designed to store perishables including fish and pharmaceuticals.
Perishables – along with electronic products, automobile parts, and other machinery – are the most commonly transported products through Guarulhos, mostly catering to markets in northern and northeastern Brazil.
LATAM’s investment in terminal infrastructure started in 2013 with a new cargo terminal in Manaus. In 2014, facilities were added in Goiânia, and Natal, and improvements were made in 19 other terminals. In addition to Guarulhos, LATAM will complete projects in Uberlândia, Ribeirão Preto and Sorocaba.
Guarulhos Airport’s cargo imports and exports grew 3 percent, while the overall market dropped by the same amount in 2014. Throughout the year, the airport oversaw more than 255,000 tonnes of international cargo, compared to 248,000 in 2013. The airport handled 508,000 tons in 2014, maintaining a 33 percent market share.
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