LATAM Cargo opens new perishable hub in Sao Paulo

LATAM Cargo recently opened a new USD $3.5 million perishable hub in Brazil’s Guarulhos (GRU) that is intended to support the carrier’s FRESH shipment program for perishable products en route from South America to destinations worldwide

The perishable hub occupies a space of 1,637 square meters and increases LATAM Cargo’s storage capacity at GRU by 33%; 50% of the total space is equipped with variable temperature cooling chambers with refrigeration ranges of 0 to 2 °C and 2 to 12 °C for storage and repalletizing. The system also allows temperatures in any of the chambers to be increased up to 22 °C.

LATAM Cargo reports that perishable products represent 45% of all goods it carries annually, and that products such as salmon, asparagus, fruit and flowers make up 85% of all the cargo the airline moves through GRU. The company said it took this into consideration in its strategic decision to make a major investment in developing the new hub.

“Our perishable hub will help us to reduce the time perishables are exposed to non-controlled temperatures by up to 20%, thanks to its capacity to offer variable temperature ranges and its strategic location closer to the loading areas,” said Claudio Torres, LATAM Cargo’s international commercial director for South America.

Ultimately, the perishable hub is intended to support the carrier’s launch of its FRESH program, which it describes as an enhanced version of its perishable care option, to provide more robust temperature control across its network. With FRESH, LATAM Group said it will offer controlled-temperature facilities across its network, an online storage temperature-deviation monitoring system, reduced exposure time while on the tarmac, and a predictive model that identifies the best measures to ensure freshness.