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CEIV Fresh: another world first for Hactl

[ March 14, 2019   //   ]

Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) is one of the first two cargo handling agents in the world to achieve the new IATA CEIV Fresh accreditation, as part of an Airport Authority Hong Kong initiative to make the airport the world’s first CEIV Fresh hub. Hactl was presented with its certificate at IATA’s World Cargo Symposium in Singapore.

Hactl began preparations for IATA CEIV Fresh in October 2018, with key staff undergoing training by IATA in November, and the company making a number of refinements to its terminal and processes. Assessment and validation were then carried out in December 2018 and January 2019 respectively.

Hactl created a new, fast-track “Fresh Lane” through its handling processes, designed to create an organized and structured journey through its facility, and so minimize the time taken to unload perishable cargo and either release it to customers, or place it in temperature-controlled storage. The Fresh Lane is modelled on Hactl’s highly-successful “Golden Route”, which was introduced for the expedited handling of pharmaceuticals in 2013 and won it the first WHO GDP and IATA CEIV Pharma accreditations in Hong Kong.

Hactl’s new perishables handling procedures are based around the “HACCP” (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) concept, which identifies and deals with potential threats to perishables safety. The over-riding aim of HACCP is to minimize the amount of perishables cargo which becomes unfit for consumption during transit.

Hactl identified four such Critical Control Points within its operations, which have been successfully dealt with through, for example, the use of thermal dollies to maintain optimum temperatures. Among other upgrades are the segregation of different perishable commodities through dedicated truck docks, and the mapping and visual marking of optimum storage positions in its cool rooms (its so-called “Blue Belt”). Dedicated active ULD charging areas have also been installed, already stringent hygiene and pest-control practices have been tightened further, and suppliers have been instructed on what they must do to comply with the new standard.

 

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