Air Canada making $16M upgrade to cargo operation at Pearson in Mississauga

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Published October 1, 2021 at 8:23 pm

Air Canada says it is increasing the capacity of its cargo division at Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, which could make working in cold storage a hot job prospect.

Air Canada announced Friday (Oct. 2) that it is embarking on a $16-million project to improve Air Canada Cargo’s cold chain handling capabilities for shipments such as pharmaceuticals, fresh food and other perishables at its Pearson cargo facility. The project is part of a wider buildout of the airline’s cargo division, which also includes the acquisition of freighter aircraft, the launch of dedicated freighter routes and an expansion into e-commerce.

“This is another important step for Air Canada Cargo as we continue to grow our business and invest in our facilities to better serve our customers,” stated Jason Berry, Air Canada’s vice-president of cargo. “Our new temperature-controlled facility, which will be the only one of its kind for a Canadian airline, represents a significant addition to Air Canada’s on-site capabilities at Toronto Pearson and to Canadian cold chain logistics.

“It will also give Air Canada Cargo a strategic advantage at our main hub, which handles more than 60 per cent of all our traffic, and will support the launch of routes to be served by our new freighter aircraft,”

Once completed, the upgraded facility will feature more than 30,000 square feet of temperature-controlled areas and an expanded cooler to fully meet the requirements of cold chain shipments. It will include more unit load devices (ULD) and loose shipments with COL (+2°C to +8°C) and CRT (+15°C to +25°C) temperature requirements, as well as additional racking and an upgraded dedicated area for active temperature control units.

The company’s release says energy-efficient equipment will part of the expansion. It uses including temperature controllers that will constantly monitor the conditions inside the facility and only regulate the temperature as needed, resulting in reduced energy consumption. Air Canada has committed to a net zero emissions goal from all global operations by 2050.

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