空中郵遞員

空中郵遞員

“一騎紅塵妃子笑，無人知是荔枝來。”在沒有航空運輸的唐朝，為了讓楊貴妃吃上新鮮荔枝，驛夫們跨山崗、越河道，策鞭快馬將荔枝快遞到京城。如果當時有現今發達的航空運輸，就不用“宮中美人一破顏，驚塵濺血流千載”了。

BEHIND THE SCENES: HOW CARGOES MAKE THEIR WAY ONTO AN AIRCRAFT

Air cargoes, including general goods, airmail and express parcels, live animals and dangerous

goods, are transported either in the cargo hold of passenger aircraft or by all-cargo aircraft.

1. Before entry into the airf i eld: documents check, cargo handover, X-ray scanning, weighing and packing

驗貨、交接、過X光機、稱重、裝箱

2. Re-weighing: this is done to ensure that no errors in cargo weight exist, so that the aircraft can fl y safely

二次復磅

To effectively identify and track cargo, the airport staff give each consignment of cargo an ID - an QR code tag, which includes such information as flight No., destination, number of pieces, weight and cargo owner. The staff simply need to scan the QR code to track the cargo.

3. After loading into a cargo compartment: loadbalancing is often necessary, where cargo load is re-planned to ensure that the aircraft's centre of gravity is properly located - toward the rear of the aircraft - to reduce fuel consumption and costs配平（重新調整貨物重量）

SPECIALISED EQUIPMENT USED FOR AIR FREIGHT

Automation is essential to the eff i ciency and convenience of air cargo transport. This involves the use of many highly sophisticated devices and equipment.

Compartment with oxygen supply有氧艙

A compartment with oxygen supply is necessary for the transport of live animals to ensure the welfare and comfort of them during a journey.

Steel pulley wheels with ball bearings鋼珠滾珠滑輪

Fixed beneath the cargo hold of wide-body aircraft, steel pulley wheels with ball bearings enable airport ground staff to easily move up to one ton of goods into the hold in one go. They contribute to signif i cantly improved on-site productivity and freight prof i t as well as to the safe takeoff of aircraft.

Everyday, thousands of lots of cargoes under hundreds of categories - including food and fruit, fragile items, plants and animals, valuables and more - are transported by air in one way or another. Foreseeably, air cargo transport will play an ever greater role in the future as the demand for faster and safer movement of goods grows in an increasingly globalised and networked world.