Swissport launches its own quality label for warehouses, which meet the company’s high standards for the storage and handling of temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical goods. Initially, 14 facilities will be labelled Swissport Pharma Centers. All of them are certified by the IATA CEIV Pharma or by the British MHRA, making them benchmark operations in the Swissport network. Further facilities will be validated and may be brought under the label.

In 2015, the first Swissport cargo warehouse was certified by the IATA Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV pharma). To date, 14 Swissport facilities have been certified under the CEIV Pharma standard or by the British MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency). In February 2020, the Swissport cargo warehouse in Nairobi was awarded the CEIV Pharma certificate, making it Swissport’s 10th such facility and the first one operated by an independent air cargo handler in Africa.

"With the Pharma Center label we want to promote Swissport’s high service quality and process safety in the handling of temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products," explains Hendrik Leyssens, Vice President Global Operations for Swissport’s cargo division. "Linking air and ground transportation with safe warehouse logistics, Swissport Pharma Centers are key infrastructures in the growing global network of airborne pharma logistics. Our workers are trained to the highest standards in protecting the integrity of temperature-sensitive goods."

Of 115 cargo warehouses which Swissport runs around the globe, 72 facilities are equipped with temperature controlled facilities and many workers are trained to the required standards and procedures. By introducing its own quality label, Swissport leverages its expertise from past external certifications and builds on its experience in running pharmaceutical logistics. Based on in-house validations, cargo operations which achieve set standards in terms of infrastructure, processes and staff training will be brought under the Swissport Pharma Center label.

In the past three years, the volume of pharmaceuticals in the Swissport network has doubled. Investments in infrastructure and services have been instrumental in supporting the growth of this segment and of its global distribution network. The Covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted the need for a reliable and high quality global supply chain. Swissport intends to play a leading role in airport logistics for pharmaceuticals.

In 2019, Swissport International AG provided best-in-class airport ground services for some 265 million airline passengers and handled roughly 4.6 million tons of air freight in 115 cargo warehouses worldwide. Several of its warehouses have been certified for pharmaceutical logistics by IATA’s CEIV Pharma and by the British MHRA. The world's leader in airport ground services and air cargo handling, with 64,000 employees, achieved consolidated operating revenue of 3.13 billion euros in 2019. At the end of December 2019, Swissport was active at 300 airports in 47 countries on six continents.