Africa’s largest cargo operator, Ethiopian Airlines, has inaugurated its state of the art Cargo Terminal-II during the Second ICAO Global Air Cargo Development Forum which will be hosted by Ethiopian from June 27 to 29.
Covering a total area of 150,000 m2 area of land, the new Cargo Terminal includes facilities such as Dry Cargo Terminal warehouse, Perishable Cargo Terminal with cool Chain Storage, fully automated with latest technology ETV (Elevating Transport Vehicle), G+2 office building, apron area which accommodates 5 additional big freighter aircraft, sufficient truck parking apron as well as employees canteen and wash rooms.
Mrs Hanna Atnafu, Manager Corporate Communications, Ethiopian Airlines said the new Cargo Terminal was also fitted with different climate chambers for storage and handling of temperature sensitive products such as fresh agricultural products, pharmaceuticals and life Science Products.
Mr Tewolde GebreMariam, the Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines said: “Infrastructure development being one of the four pillars of our fast, profitable and sustainable growth strategic roadmap, Vision 2025, we have been making massive investments in infrastructure projects to modernise and expand our cargo facilities at a total cost of USD 150 million.”
He said the new Cargo Terminal-II combined with their existing Terminal-I “would give us a total tonnage capacity of around 1 million per annum which is the largest in the continent of Africa”.
“Moreover, upon completion of the second phase, which adds 600,000 tonnes annual uplift capacity, Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services will have one of the world’s largest cargo terminals; a capability equivalent to cargo terminals in Amsterdam Schiphol, Singapore Changi, or Hong Kong,” he added.
He said the investment and the resulting massive cargo facilities along with the 6 modern B-777F fleet and 2 B-757F would create adequate air cargo transporting capacity for the fast growing export and import demand of the continent which was critically essential in the socio- economic development of the African countries.
Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services operates eight dedicated freighters to 39 global freighter destinations in Africa, the Gulf, the Middle East, Asia and Europe with an average daily uplift of 650 tons on top of the belly hold capacity, 150 tons, to over 95 destinations globally.
The Services has recently won ‘Cargo Airline Award for Network Development” at Brussels; ‘African Cargo Airline of the Year’ and many more.
