Qatar Airways links up with DoKaSch for pharma containers

Qatar Airways Cargo has signed an agreement with DoKaSch Temperature Solutions to offer the Frankfurt-based equipment specialist’s Opticooler range of temperature-controlled containers for transporting pharma products.
The chief officer cargo of the Middle East Gulf carrier, Ulrich Ogiermann, said: “We understand the intricacies of a seamless cool chain and always aim to provide value to our customers. Through this agreement with DoKaSch, we have now expanded our active container offering for customers, presenting our business partners with more options to transport their pharmaceuticals globally.”
Andreas Seitz, managing director of DoKaSch, said: “We are convinced that with Qatar Airways Cargo’s extensive and rapidly-growing network, and our joint commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, this partnership will provide a great solution for the global Pharma cool chain.”
DoKaSch Group runs a fleet of Opticoolers RAP (5 pallets) and RKN (1 pallet), that are rentable for shipping temperature-sensitive cargo. The units are equipped with electric, battery-powered cooling compressors and heaters and require no dry ice.
The active containers keep the cargo within a temperature range of 2 to 8 degrees celsius or 15 to 25 degrees celsius. The system features a touchscreen interface for dependable temperature setting.
Qatar Airways Cargo announced in May this year the launch of its Climate Control Centre, a 2,470 sq m airside transit facility for temperature-sensitive cargo at its Doha hub.
The facility features two temperature-controlled zones operating at both 2 to 8 and 15 to 25 degrees celsius with a capacity to hold a total of 156 unit load devices (ULDs) at a time.
Segregated sections within the facility enable storage of pharmaceutical products in compliance with Good Distribution Practice (GDP) guidelines. 
The significant investments in the cool chain and expansion of its pharma network have seen the cargo carrier’s QR Pharma volumes grow by 42% in 2016-17 over 2015-16. 
Qatar Airways Cargo’s expanding Pharma network spans 73 stations, with the recent addition of Colombo on in May and Dublin in June this year. It pioneered Pharma Express flights from the key pharmaceutical hubs of Basel, Brussels, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, supporting pharmaceutical exports from these destinations.