Kuehne+Nagel recertified for CEIV Pharma across its airfreight healthcare network
06 / 11 / 2023
KN employee labelling a package for cooling. Image Source: Kuehne+Nagel
Switzerland-headquartered Kuehne+Nagel has gained a third consecutive IATA CEIV Pharma certification for its entire airfreight healthcare network.
CEIV Pharma is IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators standard for pharmaceutical handling, designed as a quality control yardstick for improving the shipping and handling of these high-value, temperature-sensitive commodities.
The trade body created CEIV Pharma with the help of aviation industry stakeholders and regulators to address the industry’s need for safe, secure, compliant and efficient pharmaceutical product handling in the air cargo supply chain.
According to Kuehne+Nagel, this milestone also marks it out as the first logistics company to operate more than 100 CEIV Pharma-certified stations.
Harsha Ranasinghe, SVP global head of air Logistics products & services at Kuehne+Nagel, commented: “In 2017, Kuehne+Nagel became the first to attain CEIV Pharma certification for its healthcare air network.
“Since then, we [have continued] to collaborate with IATA to drive superior quality and compliance by setting new standards for pharmaceutical handling excellence within air freight.”
Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s global head of cargo, noted: “Kuehne+Nagel achieving CEIV Pharma certification for its HealthChain certified healthcare Air Logistics network is a significant milestone.
“It not only gives its customers assurance that their time- and temperature-sensitive healthcare products will be transported to the highest standards, but also elevates global supply chain standards.
“As the pharmaceutical sector expands, both IATA and Kuehne+Nagel are committed to meeting the industry’s need for safety, security and efficiency in the transportation of pharmaceutical products.”
Kuehne+Nagel’s dedicated healthcare solutions form part of the company’s global healthcare portfolio and include multimodal transport options and contract logistics as well as dedicated airfreight shipping.
Earlier this year, Kuehne+Nagel announced its Roadmap 2026, of which healthcare is a key growth area.
Plus, in September Kuehne+Nagel announced that it had opened an expanded pharma area at its facility in Chicago.
The forwarder’s new temperature-controlled unit measures 21,000 sq ft and can cater to products requiring storage at a temperature range of 2-25°C.
The expansion followed a move from Elk Grove Village to Bensenville earlier in the year, which doubled available warehouse space and allowed import and export to take place in one facility.
