Finnair signs with Mercator for IT at new cargo terminal

Finnair’s new cargo terminal at Helsinki airport is under way, so the carrier has decided on software and technology company Mercator to provide its air cargo management service, known as SkyChain.

Finnair broke ground on the new terminal in the summer of 2015, and the facility is expected to be ready for business by the spring of 2017. However, SkyChain is scheduled to be implemented much earlier than the terminal’s completion date – perhaps as soon as October of this year.

Janne Tarvainen, Finnair’s vice president and head of cargo, said SkyChain will be an essential tool for Finnair for years to come. Cormac Whelan, CEO of Mercator, said “SkyChain is a next-generation air cargo management solution that supports warehouse automation, while enabling greatly improved planning and process optimization.”

The new terminal is an integral part of Finnair’s future growth plan, as the carrier’s new A350 XWB aircraft are expected to bring 50 percent more cargo capacity by 2020. The new facility, called the Cool Nordic Cargo Facility, will cover 31,000-square-meters and will have a capacity of 450,000 tonnes of airfreight per year.