Video: Emirates launches pharma ‘corridors’

Emirates SkyCargo has introduced pharma corridors offering "additional protection" across selected stations in its network for pharmaceutical cargo.
A spokesperson for Emirates SkyCargo said that Middle East carrier is working with ground handling partners and other stakeholders at multiple cities across its global network in order to ensure that handling operations for pharmaceuticals at these stations are "uniform and comply with the airline’s stringent norms for pharma transport".
The Dubai-based freighter and passenger carrier is also ensuring that the stations comply with either European Union (EU) Good Distribution Practices (GDP) or IATA’s Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) pharma guidelines.
"Emirates SkyCargo will therefore be able to provide a supplementary protection of product integrity during transport of temperature sensitive pharmaceutical cargo through these cities," said the spokesperson.
In 2016, Emirates SkyCargo’s operations at its dual cargo terminals at Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central airports, plus the interconnecting trucking operations, were certified as compliant to EU GDP guidelines by standards compliance agency Bureau Veritas in Germany.
The introduction of pharma corridors with a focus on non-hub handling activities allows the carrier "to go one step further for the protection for pharma cargo", added the spokesperson.
Nabil Sultan, Emirates divisional senior vice president, cargo, said: “As a customer focused organisation, we have been listening to feedback from stakeholders in the global pharmaceutical industry.
"We realised that it was essential to work with our partners on the ground at the various stations in order to ensure that pharmaceutical cargo travels under the best conditions not only through our state of the art facilities in Dubai and when onboard our modern aircraft, but right from the point the cargo gets dropped off at the origin airport until it is collected at the destination airport.
"We are also actively exploring the roll out of dedicated pharma flights across our network. Emirates SkyCargo constantly strives to offer the best solutions for our customers.”
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