Frankfurt Airport’s operator, Fraport has received CEIV Pharma certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for ramp handling of pharmaceuticals.
The Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) certificate is awarded for reliable transport of time-critical and temperature-sensitive products, helping companies to comply with internationally recognised rules and standards to handle pharmaceuticals.
Frankfurt Airport handled more than 100,000 tonnes of vaccines, drugs, medicines and other pharmaceutical products in 2017, which require a high standard of handling, requiring quality management, training of staff and infrastructure to handle and store the products.
The certificate was awarded to Fraport at the IATA Ground Handling Conference in Doha.
When receiving the certificate, Fraport’s senior executive vice president of ground services, Martin Bien says: “With the CEIV Pharma certification from IATA, Frankfurt Airport is one of the largest pharmaceutical hubs in the world to offer a fully certified ground handling process – now with ramp handling also included.
“We see pharmaceutical transportation as a growth market for the future. Receiving IATA’s CEIV certification underscores that Fraport has the requisite infrastructure and the necessary expertise to accommodate this growth. We are well prepared for future requirements of the pharmaceutical industry and forwarding companies.”
Fraport’s ramp handling division has been operating a transporter vehicle for temperature controlled shipments for over 20 years and it is the first piece of ground equipment to be covered by the CEIV certification.
The vehicle allows transportation of main and lower deck units in a range from -30 to +30 degrees Celsius and is equipped with an electronic temperature monitoring system and tracking options.