SAA'S warehousing gets major facelift

A whole modernisation programme for SAA Cargo’s now outdated warehousing facility at OR Tambo International Airport (Ortia) in Johannesburg is now under way. It’s everything from a new coat of paint upwards, according to Gideon Horn, Ortia terminal manager. The plan was first pinned on the drawing board when the national airport operator, Airports Company of SA (Acsa), decided to look at a whole mid-field development at the airport. “Unfortunately, the global economic crisis put a stop to that,” said Horn, “but our warehouse still needed to be smartened up and we currently have a call out for tenders for a feasibility study on the modernisation scheme.” Already in place is a next-generation cargo management system, iCargo, which was installed in 2010, according to Ronel Mendez, SAA Cargo marketing manager. “That offers full cargo trackand- trace and brings our cargo acceptance and delivery system completely up to date.” Also already under way, according to Horn, is an upgrading of the warehouse’s refrigeration system – intended, he told FTW, to bring it up to 21st century efficiency and customerfriendliness. “Included in this is an upgrading of the HVAC system, which controls the warehouse’s air conditioning and extraction, and the refrigeration plant,” he added. “We need to modernise everything – infrastructure, customer airspace, computer systems, racking systems, the lot.”