Dubai: The Abu Dhabi airline Etihad Cargo has launched an upgraded logistics service for pharmaceutical products under the PharmaLife banner. This replaces the existing TempCheck offering. Etihad was the first carrier in the Middle East to gain IATA’s Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) certification for pharma-specific logistics.
The specialised service will serve the anticipated global demand for swift shipment services ahead of a COVID-19 vaccine. It is available at 54 stations in the airline’s network, with a focus on key gateways that include Abu Dhabi, Chicago, Paris and London, among others.
“To avoid last minute pressure once a vaccine is approved, we established a dedicated COVID-19 vaccines workforce composed of a steering committee and a working group to manage all anticipated elements,” said Andre Blech, Head of operations & Service Delivery at Etihad Cargo.
PharmaLife features two sector-specific shipment solutions: global lease active and hybrid containers with PharmaLife “Active” solutions for sensitive products. And PharmaLife “Passive” will provide the right equipment and right storage conditions with three specific temperature ranges (+2 to +25 degrees, 2 to 8 degrees, and 15 to 25 degrees).
“The pandemic prompted a reassessment of our top-level services to ensure we can address the specific requirements for shipping high volumes of in-demand product in very short timescales,” said Blech.
