Cathay Pacific Cargo has signed a global rental agreement with va-Q-tec to provide the airline with passive thermal containers for its Pharma LIFT portfolio.

The thermal containers are available in five different sizes, taking up to two US pallets inside, and in six different temperature ranges from -60C to +25C.

The airline was the first in Hong Kong to be awarded IATA CEIV Pharma certification, committing to transporting high-value, time-sensitive and temperature-controlled pharmaceutical products with speed, consistency and efficiency.

Cathay Pacific general manager for cargo service delivery, Frosti Lau says: “These advanced passive thermal containers can offer steady temperature-controlled conditions for several days without requiring external energy sources. Coupled with Cathay Pacific Cargo’s extensive network, we are confident the containers will benefit our customers around the world.”

Va-Q-tec head of business development in Asia, In Sook Yoo says: “The pharmaceutical market is growing rapidly worldwide. Thanks to the new collaboration, innumerable customers can lease va-Q-tec’s reliable containers directly from Cathay Pacific Cargo.”

Va-Q-tec UK global partner manager, Will Staddon adds: “We are delighted to be working with a strong partner like Cathay Pacific Cargo to make a major contribution to the temperature-controlled logistics market. Their ambition to provide a quality-driven service matches ours perfectly and this partnership signifies va-Q-tec’s continued growth in key pharma regions.”

The company has established subsidiaries in South Korea and Japan amongst other countries and operates several container network stations.