MMA2 inaugurates 25MT capacity digital cold storage for perishable cargoes

Bi-Courtney Aviation Services, operator of the Murtala Mohammed Airport Terminal-II (MMA2), has launched a 25-metric tonne capacity digital cold storage facility to cater for perishables passing through the terminal.

Remi Jibodu, Bi-Courtney’s Head of Aeronautics/Cargo, and Chief Operating Officer, who spoke during stressed that the facility would not only generate revenues but reduce spoilage of perishable cargoes.

“This is just the beginning of some of the things we are doing in cargo. What we are trying to do is to have a paradigm shift where we change from just being an operational environment to a business unit, where we can bring up more innovation and creativity that would give us more revenue.

“People have storage at the farms and they move it down here and we have the cold storage here. We still transport to the other side. We are just part of the chain to ensure we fulfil our own part of the game,” Jibodu said.

He disclosed that on a daily basis, the terminal receives an average of 50 to 60 tonnes of cargo but this has been really affected by the capacity in the industry.

“The cargo that we are looking for now is aircraft belly cargo not the freighter. The truth is that we can even grow up to 80 tonnes in a day, but we can’t do that now. This is because Dana Air, which had a very big belly cargo suspended operations; this has really impacted on volumes of cargo.

“Air Peace does not carry cargo. Even at that, we are still pushing the tonnes we are doing to almost 50 tonnes on a daily basis,” the COO said.

Jibodu, while applauding the support and creativity of Wale Babalakin, the Chairman of Bi-Courtney, said that the company would increase the capacity to 100 metric tonnes within a two-year period.

He noted that the facility was to ensure that the cold chains of perishables cargoes were maintained.

He said while Bi-Courtney is inaugurating a 25- metric tonnes cold storage, it has a vision to extend to about 100 metric tonnes in less than two years.

“One of the things we will continue to do is to ensure excellence, while we adequately manage existing infrastructure to ensure that we get utmost revenue at every point,” he said.

Jibodu said that the cold storage, segmented into Chiller and Freezer would serve as a warehouse facility for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, frozen foods, vegetables and other perishables within the airport and environs.

He said that the price for daily service and bulk storage were affordable with discounts available to users who wished to store in bulk and for longer periods.