Lufthansa Cargo has made four improvements to its temperature-controlled products in an effort to enhance transport quality and process stability.
Focusing on additional monitoring, protection and speed of transport for pharma products, the improvements are designed to enhance Lufthansa Cargo's "Active Temp Control" solution to provide temperature control for shipments well as its "Passive Temp Support" solution to provide protection against temperature fluctuations.
These solutions are supported by the CEIV-certified Pharma Hub Frankfurt, a global network of 30 CEIV Pharma stations, including hubs in Munich, which achieved certification in 2021, and Brussels, as well as six GDP-certified stations.
The "Pharma Control Tower" service was launched at the end of April to provide greater transparency and security during transport.
"A team of experts monitors temperature-sensitive shipments in transit via the Lufthansa Cargo hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, and Brussels 24/7," said Lufthansa Cargo.
Customers can use the Pharma Control Tower to inquire about shipments to and from the 30 CEIV-certified stations worldwide.
"They benefit from a central point of contact that enables quick feedback and increased response times in the event of deviations, regardless of whether “Active Temp Control” or “Passive Temp Support” is used," added the cargo division of Lufthansa.
Secondly, special thermal covers are now being used for Passive Temp Support shipments to provide additional protection against heat or cold during ramp handling in order to maintain constant product temperatures.
Initially, the free Thermo Covers will be used on airfreight pallets in the main and lower decks during the summer months (May to September) on routes between Frankfurt and Atlanta, Cairo, Chicago, and Toronto.
The airline is also considering rolling this service out to other destinations and beyond the current period of time.
Additionally, Lufthansa Cargo is offering a smartULD service for tracking and monitoring temperature-sensitive shipments in real time. The service can be booked with the Active Temp Control product for certain container types.
"Sensors in the containers continuously record temperature data, enabling the creation of a complete temperature profile from delivery to pickup," said Lufthansa Cargo.
Customers can also benefit from a faster service offered with Passive Temp Support. The td.Zoom service "offers maximum transport speed for temperature-sensitive products, such as pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, biotechnological materials, and high-tech products".
Using td.Zoom "provides fast, prioritised access to capacity and the shortest transit times in the network without weight restrictions", added Lufthansa Cargo.
In addition to these product enhancements, Lufthansa Cargo also plans to enable customers to be able to view their containers' temperature data at selected stations via its website.
The temperature-controlled truck network will also be adapted further to customer requirements.
