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   Vol. 14  No. 60
Tuesday July 28, 2015

New Turkish Cargo Facility

New Landmark For Air Shippers
Ribbon cutting for CTF

Summer Reruns(Dateline Istanbul)—Our first impression upon walking into the building was that we had just landed at Google Headquarters.
     The space was so big, bright, and airy, and filled with young, smart looking, purpose-driven people.
     In this business, the opening of air cargo handling terminals occurs on a regular schedule, and each is undoubtedly filled with the hopes and dreams of everyone involved in its creation.
     Over the years we have had the pleasure and honor of seeing some imaginative facilities debut, both at home in the U.S. and around the world in places like Singapore, the UK, and Dubai.
     But a few weeks ago we travelled to Istanbul to see the new Cargo Transfer Facility (CTF) that Turkish Airways Cargo opened January 1, 2015.
     The new Turkish Cargo CTF is not only big, broad-shouldered, beautiful and situated on a tract of land at Ataturk International Airport that will allow for certain expansion in the future, it is a place of expanded capabilities and great promise. It touches every aspect of the transportation art, punctuated by a light and airy openness that lends itself to the business of air cargo and lifts the spirit and imagination of everybody that comes into contact.
     Turkish CTF Istanbul is the right place at the right time, and even for an old cargo hand it’s nothing short of amazing.
     No, it is not about bells and whistles or razzle-dazzle; what is going on here is smart cargo operations at the hub level, with the potential and benefits to rise up and meet any challenge both today and during the upcoming seasons.
     Put simply, Turkish Cargo has now moved further center stage to claim its rightful leadership position on the world cargo air lanes.


Systems & People

     Rather than rush to judgment by slapping a building full of systems and then hoping everything will work all at once (a mistake that has been made time and again by others), Turkish planners and builders opted to take a patient, measured approach, fully fitting out the new CTF whilst measuring some long term decisions about next generation systems.

Halit Anlatan quotes
     But what just knocks us out about the Turkish Cargo IST CTF is how the building deals with the people who work there: the human dimension. It’s the engine that drives everything.
     CTF is a space that allows for everybody inside to view operations and vital activity, offering an unobstructed view of the cargo workspace through giant floor-to-ceiling window walls.
     The view imparts a sense of motion and interaction, a ballet that can only help encourage ideas, sharing, cooperation, and other efficiencies.
     Inside, the Turkish Airlines Istanbul Cargo Transfer Facility staff meeting rooms—where the strategies are planned—are situated facing the air cargo action.
Al Farabi Mural
     There is also a sense of history as interior wall spaces tell the story of great Arab philosophers, poets, scientists and mathematicians, including Abu Nasar Al Farabi and Jallaludin Rumi, whose messages spread to impact people all over the world.
     A bright, busy cafeteria that seats 600 people faces the pallet build up area so that meals (there are no special classes here, meaning both white and blue collar employees dine in the same space) at CTF include an overview of the build up process.
Turkish CTF lunchroom
     Looking a bit further into the Turkish CTF, we also noted only three private offices in the entire place.
     The main gallery where all the people sit on the top floor includes 300 meters of open plan offices under high ceilings with exposed heating and cooling. Everything is painted white, elevating the open Bauhaus feel of the place in an upward sweep of understated functional elegance.

Turkish CTF offices Turkish CTF Office


     “I get a very good daily workout walking back and forth here, before I go to work each day, and also sometimes to work off lunch,” smiles Turkish Cargo Vice President Sales Halit Anlatan.
     “Our new cargo facility offers streamlined operational processes that have been redesigned, and service quality has been maximized.
     “Our network of more than 260 destinations in 108 countries, currently served by 9 freighters with 48 destinations and 253 passenger airplanes, has a center port for a growing business in air cargo.
     “The CTF includes a larger cargo acceptance area, accelerating cargo processes.
     “We have also optimized space for specialty cargo with dedicated areas to handle every consignment from bulk to refrigerated to high value to express—you name it.
     “Whether Live Animals (AVI), Dangerous Goods (DG), Vulnerable Cargo (VUN), Valuable Cargo (VAL), or anything else.
     “If it can be shipped by air, our CTF has a place for the cargo via Istanbul,” Halit insists.
     The cargo admission and delivery space includes 53 bays, with several gates dedicated to TK Plus and special cargo.
     Also vehicle admission areas are 42 m. wide, allowing vehicle traffic and maneuvering to be managed smoothly.
     Accommodation of many different types of vehicles will be facilitated by means of movable level adjusters.


Room To Grow

     Technical Specifications of the New Cargo Facility put future annual throughput tonnage capacity at 1.2 million tons, but Halit points out there is room to grow.


First He Helped Build It

Mustafa Kemal Ozahi     Mustafa Kemal Ozahi is project engineer for Turkish Cargo.
     As part of the team that planned and built CTF, today Mustafa Kemal helps operate while keeping a weathered eye out for the facility.
     Mustafa Kemal studied industrial engineering in school but then worked in logistics for the fashion industry.
     Having spent time on the customer side of the equation he notes a keen awareness of their needs, which gives him knowledge that has served him well both in the design stage and today in the ongoing implementation of operations for the new Istanbul hub.
     “Actually, when we launched CTF on January 1, we moved operations into the new facility and had everything done in one day with no problems,” said Mustafa Kemal.
     “We were keenly aware that our former facility here was a level two facility. “Too much wasted motion.
     “Our biggest challenge in this new CTF was changing the mindset.
     “People, we felt, would revert to the processes they were familiar and comfortable with from habit.
     “So we commenced staff retraining prior to the move last August 1.
     “Today, everyone is on the same page.
     “There is total seamlessness and transparency in communication here because of the physical layout of the building.
     “That is a real plus for the three shifts a day with 200 people, four shift managers, and eight shift supervisors.
     “Our old facility could handle 550,000 tons, today we are handling 700,000 tons.
     “The projection ahead 4 years is 1.2 million tons annually.
     “Looking ahead we are changing our IT set up to IBS.
     “We currently have sent staff to Lufthansa, our alliance partner, to learn best practices, among other things,” Mustafa Kemal said.

Turkish Booth At ACE
The Vision Thing

     “Bringing this great facility forward we notice that there is better and clearer focus on vision—that allows better interaction for everyone working together as a team, to share the same passion,” said Mr. Anlatan.
     “We are an airport to airport service, so we have to be a true partner to the freight forwarder.
     “Right now, price has become a bargaining chip because of the cost of fuel, but we buy in Kazakhstan where nothing has changed.
     “So the bottom line is Turkish customer service.
     “We are not an industrial country; we are a trading conduit.
     “Now, in addition to our growing, modern air fleet (including freighters), our incredible geographic location as a nation and gateway, and the determined effort of a truly dedicated air cargo management and staff, we move ahead in 2015 seeking new business and challenges.
     “This facility is the new landmark for air shippers.
     “Our investment here is our commitment to a long-term program to take our cargo enterprise in a leading direction well into the 21st century.
     “Turkish Cargo can handle it,” Halit Anlatan said.
Geoffrey/Sabiha


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