Panalpina expands cold chain facility at Nairobi airport

Dec 01, 2018: Panalpina has doubled its cold storage space at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to enable more and improved services for its perishables’ customers in and out of the country.

The facilities have been expanded by 1,500 square metres. This set-up is unique within Nairobi airport, as it is the only one with dedicated loading bays for skidded or palletised cargo and with separate cold rooms to manage specific temperature requirements for products such as cuttings.

The expansion further strengthens Panalpina’s leading position in Kenya. Today, Panalpina flies most of Kenya’s premium perishables out of the country. Panalpina first started operations in Nairobi in 2015 with a team of five people, which soon grew to 200 with the acquisition of Airflo, and later to 350 with that of Air Connection.

In a speech given at the inauguration of the new facilities today, Captain Gilbert Kibe, director general of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, emphasised that the Kenyan government remains committed to ensure that Kenya has an integrated and interconnected world-class transport infrastructure that facilitates sector growth and accelerates national economic development.

Panalpina aims to grow its business in Kenya from the current 65,000 tonnes of flowers, fruits, and vegetables it moves, to more than 80,000 by 2020, bringing increased benefits for the local community in terms of employment and infrastructure, as well as sustainable development.

Panalpina’s growth in perishables has continued elsewhere in Africa, too. This year, Skyservices in South Africa joined the Panalpina family, and FX Logistics, a new agent in Zimbabwe, also became a member of the Panalpina Perishables Network.

“This facility will provide many business opportunities for our customers to pursue in Kenya, the region and the world, and that is what we are looking to achieve solutions that foster growth for our customers, Panalpina and the communities where we operate,” said Stefan Karlen, president and CEO of Panalpina.

Today, the Panalpina Perishables Network spans 26 key countries worldwide and keeps growing.