newstodate.aero
July 05, 2010 (newstodate): Construction works for a new SAS Cargo/Spirit Air Cargo Handling terminal at Sweden's Stockholm Arlanda Airport are on schedule, and the opening of the new facility is slated for October 31, 2010.
-We are fully on time, and the physical building is actually in place. Efforts during August and September will be spent on installing equipment and moving offices etc, and as the new terminal goes operational, accepting export shipments from day one, the old terminal will continue its operations for another week after that, delivering the last remaining import shipments and finishing off other business, says Bjorn Kardell, SAS Spirit Sweden managing director.
-The new terminal builds on the concept of shortest possible separation between land-side and airside gates, so the terminal building is rather long to allow for flexible handling of the shipments.
-In total, the new terminal's 15,200 sq.m floor space is probably more than is immediately needed, but the design was based on estimates before the recent down-turn in the global industry. We are now happily back on volumes comparable to 2008, but we have of course lost one year's expected growth. Anyhow, as a long-term investment, the new facility is built to match expected growth over the new 10-15 years
-The annual design handling capacity is about 200,000 tonnes of cargo, and we are currently handling some 100,000 tonnes. But volumes are growing again at Spirit, boosted by airline customers like Thai Airways that has increased its operations at Stockholm Arlanda, and Qatar Airways that recently upgraded its services from three weekly Airbus A319 operations to daily Airbus A330 operations. The trend is clearly positive.
-Among crucial competitive parameters for cargo terminals, security ranks highest, followed by fast logistics between airside and landside, and finally of course price. We are sure to come out favorably on all three aspects, says Mr Kardell.
-We are fully on time, and the physical building is actually in place. Efforts during August and September will be spent on installing equipment and moving offices etc, and as the new terminal goes operational, accepting export shipments from day one, the old terminal will continue its operations for another week after that, delivering the last remaining import shipments and finishing off other business, says Bjorn Kardell, SAS Spirit Sweden managing director.
-The new terminal builds on the concept of shortest possible separation between land-side and airside gates, so the terminal building is rather long to allow for flexible handling of the shipments.
-In total, the new terminal's 15,200 sq.m floor space is probably more than is immediately needed, but the design was based on estimates before the recent down-turn in the global industry. We are now happily back on volumes comparable to 2008, but we have of course lost one year's expected growth. Anyhow, as a long-term investment, the new facility is built to match expected growth over the new 10-15 years
-The annual design handling capacity is about 200,000 tonnes of cargo, and we are currently handling some 100,000 tonnes. But volumes are growing again at Spirit, boosted by airline customers like Thai Airways that has increased its operations at Stockholm Arlanda, and Qatar Airways that recently upgraded its services from three weekly Airbus A319 operations to daily Airbus A330 operations. The trend is clearly positive.
-Among crucial competitive parameters for cargo terminals, security ranks highest, followed by fast logistics between airside and landside, and finally of course price. We are sure to come out favorably on all three aspects, says Mr Kardell.