GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 13, 2026

Airlock

When a warehouse door to a cold room opens, warm ambient air rushes in—a seemingly small event that can compromise entire product batches.

Last updated: 13 June 2026Published: 19 June 2025

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airlock_(architecture)

Category

Logistics Concept

Reading time

1 min

Words

110

Mentioned in

–

When a warehouse door to a cold room opens, warm ambient air rushes in—a seemingly small event that can compromise entire product batches. An airlock prevents this by placing a sealed vestibule with two independently operated airtight doors between the two climate zones. With one door always closed before the other can open, uncontrolled exchange of temperature, humidity, and airborne contaminants is physically blocked. Airlocks are standard in pharmaceutical cold stores, blast-freeze chambers, cleanrooms, and temperature-zoned fulfilment centres. Compared to strip curtains or rapid-roll doors, an airlock delivers more reliable separation but requires additional floor space and higher capital investment—a trade-off that operators of high-value or regulated cargo routinely accept.

Next steps

Tools that match this term

Find HS codeDetermine the tariff number for customsOpen Calculate customs valueWork out import duties and customs valueOpen Compare IncotermsClarify duties, cost and riskOpen Calculate transit timeEstimate duration per transport modeOpen

Related Terms

You might also be interested in these terms

Airlock Logistics Systems

In large logistics centres and climate-controlled warehouses, airlock systems (structural or mobile) are installed at zone transit…

Learn more

Depalletization of Temperature-Controlled Freight

Depalletization of temperature-controlled freight involves removing goods subject to strict temperature requirements – frozen prod…