Perishable goods were among the first commodities carried by air. With years of operating experience, airlines have developed very effective handling techniques for chilled and frozen products, providing shippers with optimum, cost-efficient packaging methods for these time and temperature sensitive commodities.
Perishable cargo and public health
Since the carriage of foodstuffs has an important impact on public health, airlines exercise utmost care to ensure that packages are adequately protected against leakage, spillage and contamination from other cargo.
For instance, some airlines require that packaging be designed to sustain the variance in altitude and temperature during flight. Others have introduced cold chain management with specific handling procedures, technologies, facilities and personnel. In addition, many airports implement special import procedures to expedite the clearance of perishable shipments and delivery to the market.
The issue of containers
Nowadays, airlines use both thermal containers and general-purpose aircraft containers to transport perishable goods. These units are certified in accordance with IATA standards and comply with national safety regulations.
Thermal units are not used frequently because of their capacity limitations. With general-purpose containers, airlines use various refrigerants and insulation materials or kits to stabilise the temperature around the perishable packages.
Perishable Cargo Manual (PCM)
The IATA Perishable Cargo Manual is an essential reference guide for all parties involved in the packaging and handling of perishables for air transportation. It has been developed based on the experience of a number of major airlines and the scientific data supplied by research institutions.