A consolidation hub set up to supply businesses at Gatwick airport and cut down on road congestion and pollution could be a prototype for other crowded urban areas or even airport cargo areas, says a DHL expert. Ian Lovelock: vice president within the Specialist Services team at DHL Supply Chain told ACN that the Gatwick Logistics Consolidation Centre, which acts as a hub for goods needing to be delivered to airside retailers at the busy London airport had drastically reduced the number of trucks travelling around the airport and improved the efficiency of deliveries to retailers.
The Consolidation Centre recently won the airport’s 2014 Supplier Value award, as well as the Airline Operator Association’s Best Business partner award.
Goods are unloaded from trunk vehicles, security screened and stored, if necessary, before being placed on Gatwick Direct-liveried trucks for the final journey to airside premises. The system allows retailers to plan precisely when goods arrive and avoids tying up staff unnecessarily in dealing with unexpected deliveries. The 4,366sq m consolidation centre is within Gatwick’s cargo area and, as well as screening facilities, also offers temperature controlled storage.
Asked whether a similar concept could be used to reduce congestion at busy airport cargo areas, Lovelock said: “In my view, with the constraints at major airports, there is going to be an ever-increasing need for this sort of service. I’m sure there could be scope at somewhere like Heathrow.”
