AirBridgeCargo airlines (ABC) completed a record transport of 27 temperature-controlled containers aboard a single flight, delivering a vaccine product from Milan to Beijing on October 30 for logistics provider Kuehne + Nagel Italy. The pallet-size containers, made by Envirotainer, were carried on a B747-8 freighter via Moscow.
ABC’s dedicated pharma unit, together with local operations and customer service teams, coordinated and monitored the cargo movement, including onto the connecting flight.
In 2016, ABC became the first airline in Russia to receive International Air Transport Association (IATA) logistics certification for handling pharmaceutical products. IATA standards dictate that all an airline’s stations undergo certification and that its ground service providers be certified to qualify for the designation.
ABC has reported a 20% gain in pharmaceutical shipments during the first eight months of 2019, representing about 22,500 tons of products. Over the last five years, ABC has built its pharmaceutical network with 18 stations qualified by Envirotainer to safely manage temperature-controlled shipments and six IATA-certified stations.