Rio earns CEIV pharma certification

RIOgaleão, Rio de Janeiro’s international airport, has been awarded IATA’s Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Pharma certificate.
Certification for the key Brazilian gateway follows a number of audits and assessments, technical training and “significant improvements” to the airport’s pharma handling infrastructure and processes, said a spokesperson. Investments at RIOgaleão Cargo have now surpassed $10m since the beginning of the concession in August 2014.
Added the spokesperson: “The CEIV Pharma certification confirms RIOgaleão Cargo’s compliance with the highest international pharma handling standards and best practices and significantly reduces logistics costs and risks for its clients, cementing its role as a major gateway for pharmaceuticals to and from Latin America.”
The pharma certification comes after the inauguration last year of the airport’s TECA Pharma 2 facility, which tripled cold storage capacity to 17,000 cubic metres at the cargo terminal, offering 1,400 additional pallet positions.
The facility features a fully automated cargo storage system and comprises two temperature environments (2° to 8° and 16° to 22° Celsius) as well temperature controlled anterooms and docks.
Approximately 25% of RIOgaleão Cargo’s revenues are related to temperature controlled pharmaceutical freight, and the airport is the country’s main gateway for government vaccination campaigns.
Patrick Fehring, director of RIOgaleão Cargo, said: “Airfreight provides the pharmaceutical industry with the speed and efficiency high value and temperature sensitive products require.
“Our CEIV Pharma certification demonstrates to our customers that we operate to the highest international standards and it gives us a strong competitive advantage over other airports in the region.
“Together with our airport and airline partners we can now offer our pharmaceutical customers a CEIV Pharma certified trade lane, giving them peace of mind from origin to destination.” 
Carlos Ebner, IATA’s director in Brazil, said: “Air transport, nowadays, requires special capabilities for the handling of pharmaceuticals.
“CEIV Pharma is a programme that seeks to implement international standards of supply chain management, addressing chain challenges, including the latest achievements in the transportation of pharmaceuticals.
“The programme is proof that the air transport industry is truly committed to its challenges and we are very proud of RIOgaleão’s CEIV Pharma certification.”