RIOgaleão Cargo has been awarded the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Pharma certificate.
The freight arm of Rio de Janeiro International Airport becomes the first hub in Latin America to gain CEIV and it says it confirms it as one of the leading gateways for pharmaceutical products in the region.
CEIV Pharma certification confirms compliance with the highest international pharma handling standards and best practices and significantly reduces logistics costs and risks for the airport’s clients.
The certification comes after the inauguration in 2016 of the airports ‘TECA Pharma 2’ facility, which tripled cold storage capacity to 17,000 square 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° degrees Celsius) as well temperature controlled anterooms and docks.
Approximately 25 per cent of RIOgaleão Cargo’s revenues are related to temperature controlled pharmaceutical freight and the hub is the country’s main gateway for government vaccination initiatives.
RIOgaleão Cargo director, Patrick Fehring says: “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.”
IATA’s director in Brazil, Carlos Ebner adds: “Air transport, nowadays, requires special capabilities for the handling of pharmaceuticals. CEIV Pharma is a program that seeks to implement international standards of supply chain management, addressing chain challenges, including the latest achievements in the transportation of pharmaceuticals.
‘The program is proof that the air transport industry is truly committed to its challenges and we are very proud of RIOgaleão’s CEIV Pharma certification.”
