The logistics community at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has launched a closed pharmaceutical chain programme to be International Air Transport Association (IATA) Center of Excellence for Independent Validators certified.
It was announced at the IATA World Cargo Symposium on 16 March in press conference held in the Tegel room of the Intercontinental Hotel in Berlin, with representatives from the airport and other companies recruited for the programme. The chain has been branded ‘Pharma Gateway Amsterdam – Qualified & Transparent’ and it aims to support a certified track from the shipper to the consignee, involving airlines, handlers, hauliers and logistics service providers.
Air Cargo Netherlands director of special programs, Ferry van der Ent says: “Pharma Gateway Amsterdam goes well beyond a simple marketing programme. This new body is tackling the entire proposition of Schiphol Airport for pharma manufacturers, and is commercially neutral. We’ll provide a transparent and qualified process, which can be fully monitored.”
By the time of the unveiling at the IATA WCS, WFS, Dnata, Swissport, Air France KLM Martinair Cargo, De Jong Special Services, DJ Middelkoop & Zn., Jan de Rijk Logistics, IJS Global/GEFCO, VCK Logistics, Yusen Logistics and Cyberfreight had been recruited, with more expected to join in the near future.
Schiphol believes Pharma Gateway Amsterdam will achieve its potential helped by supportive Customs, state-of-the-art facilities, mainport network and technical innovations such as real time temperature measurement. In future, the gateway will include real time monitoring on the ramp on a collective basis, similar to the airport’s ‘Milkrun’ transport collaboration.
Van der Ent continues: “We have adopted CEIV as our base, as it’s the only truly worldwide standard today. Slowly but surely, more logistics partners are choosing CEIV, driven by shipper demand. And, although it’s not mandatory yet, it may be in the future. We cannot rule out the adoption of even higher standards in due course.”
