Lufthansa Airlines’ cargo division has opened a specialized storage section for temperature-sensitive medicines, biologic drugs and blood at its Munich Airport warehouse.
The new pharmaceutical hub can hold 96 pallets plus loose pieces in two temperature ranges (35-46 degrees F and 59-77 F) — with a freezer that can reach minus 64 F, Lufthansa Cargo said Thursday.
Ensuring pharmaceutical supplies maintain their quality during transport is a top priority for drug companies, hospitals and laboratories. Handling those products is a premium business for airlines.
Lufthansa Cargo (CXE: LHA) expects the International Air Transport Association to certify the Munich facility this fall for meeting strict pharmaceutical handling criteria.
The Munich facility, which was built in five months, follows the June opening of a Lufthansa pharma center at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. It can hold up to 54 pallets and 102 cool containers, according to the company.
Most of Lufthansa Cargo’s pharmaceutical shipments move through its main hub in Frankfurt, Germany, which was expanded to 86,000 square feet in 2018. By the end of 2020, Lufthansa Cargo expects to have 31 pharma stations worldwide certified under IATA’s validation program.
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