Hactl pioneers GDP compliance in Hong Kong handling

(30^th July 2014, Hong Kong) Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals (Hactl) – Hong Kong’s largest cargo handler - is the first handling facility at the airport to achieve Good Distribution Practices (GDP) accreditation, bringing it in line with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) quality assurance guidelines for the handling of pharmaceuticals.

To meet the GDP guidelines, Hactl has enhanced the temperature-controlled zones in its SuperTerminal 1 facility, to accommodate pharmaceutical products requiring temperatures of 15°C to 25°C, 2°C to 8°C, and -15°C to -25°C; these are equipped with temperature mapping and 24-hour monitoring by trained operatives.

Hactl has also designated a fast-track “Golden Route” to ensure that all pharmaceutical cargo enjoys the fastest possible transit between the apron and the handling areas.

Hactl supervisors and corresponding managers have undergone professional GDP training on standards, operating procedures and quality issues. All pharmaceutical handling areas are now regularly cleaned and sanitised in accordance with GDP hygiene standards.

Says Miranda Kwan, Deputy Director of Systems & Services Certification for SGS Hong Kong, which undertook Hactl’s GDP certification: “We congratulate Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited on being certified by SGS for compliance with World Health Organisation Good Distribution Practices (GDP) for Pharmaceutical Products.

“Air cargo handling is an important activity in the supply-chain management of pharmaceutical products. We appreciate Hactl’s commitment to ensuring the quality and identity of pharmaceutical products during all aspects of the air cargo handling process.”Adds Hactl Chief Executive Mark Whitehead: “As the leading cargo terminal in Hong Kong, Hactl has a tradition of adopting all internationally recognised best practices in all aspects of its business.”

“Given the growing importance of pharma traffic to the airfreight industry, we see it as our duty to our customers to introduce the highest-possible standards for the handling of such cargo, and we have pioneered this in Hong Kong with our GDP certification.”

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About Hactl:

Launched in 1976, Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) is Hong Kong’s largest independent cargo handler, servingmore than 100 airline companies and 1,000 freight forwarders.

Its base, SuperTerminal 1, is Hong Kong’s largest cargo handling facility, with an annual design capacity of 3.5 million tonnes.

Hactl’s subsidiary Hacis provides scheduled road feeder services to/from 6 key points in southern China’s important Pearl River Delta region.

Hactl’s world-leading, self-developed IT system, COSAC-Plus, links it with airlines, freight forwarders, agents, shippers/consignees, Airport Authority, Civil Aviation Authority, Census and Statistics Department, and Customs and Excise Department.

Hactl’s shareholders are Jardine Matheson & Co., Ltd (41.67%), Hutchison Port Holdings Ltd (20.83%), The Wharf (Holdings) Ltd (20.83%) and China National Aviation Corporation (Group) Ltd (16.67%).

SuperTerminal 1 at a glance:

• Opened 1998
• 395,000 sqm floor area
• 3,500 bay, multi-level container storage system, served by 40 fully-automated driverless ATVs
• Additional storage for 1,573 empty units
• 10,000 bay automated stillage storage/retrieval system for loose cargo (box storage system)
• More than 466 pallet workstations
• 313 truck docks
• 2,500 staff
• Facilities for livestock/bloodstock, perishables (30 dedicated truck docks), valuables (dedicated zone for handling 9 armoured vehicles simultaneously), hazardous/radioactive cargo
• Over 1,000 CCTV cameras throughout; card-controlled access; personnel-free cargo storage zones
• Design capacity: 3.5 million tonnes per annum
• Record throughput in one day: 10,184 tonnes
• Initial investment : US$1 billion

About Good Distribution Practices (GDP)

GDP is a quality system for warehouse and distribution centres dedicated to the handling of medicines. Internationally-accepted pharmaceutical GDP regulations stipulate that distributors of pharmaceutical products must align their operations with the standards. The scheme ensures that consistent quality management systems are in place throughout the entire supply chain, from the delivery of raw materials to manufacturing plants, to the final shipment of finished drugs to the end user. Compliance is achieved through auditing by independent assessors.

About SGS

SGS is the world’s leading certification, inspection, verification and testing company and was established in 1878. It has more than 80,000 employees, operating a network of more than 1,650 offices and laboratories globally. SGS provides specialized business solutions that help customers improve quality, safety and productivity and reduce risk.

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