Amsterdam Airport Schiphol’s cargo team is gearing up to revive its Pharma Gateway Amsterdam platform in line with its updated Cargo strategy. 

Due to a variety of circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, being slot restricted, and changes to its organisation, Schiphol’s ongoing development as a key pharmaceutical gateway in Europe hasn’t been in the spotlight. 

“The airport is working hard on updating its strategy for cargo and is aiming to designate pharma logistics as one of the most important verticals in its updated strategy,” David van der Meer, Cargo Partnerships Director at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, said. “This is also fuelled by airlines and forwarders indicating that pharma airfreight will continue to innovate and grow in the years to come.”

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Amsterdam Airport Schiphol’s first step is to reach out to all current members of the Pharma Gateway Amsterdam platform. 

“In recent conversations with VCK Logistics/Janssen, Kuehne & Nagel and Geodis among others, the cargo community has indicated to Schiphol that the time is right to renew and upgrade our combined efforts to show the world that Schiphol is still the premier gateway for pharma logistics,” van der Meer explained.

The airport has had a track record for many years now in this space, leading large pharmaceutical manufacturers to base themselves in The Netherlands. This has been mainly powered by Schiphol’s strong network and smooth end-to-end cargo chain. 

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Without closing its eyes to slot constraints, the opportunities for shippers to select Amsterdam as their preferred gateway for pharma logistics remain open, with all parties involved in pharma logistics working together to improve quality and handling time.

The Dutch road infrastructure combined with the quality of the airport’s network enables Schiphol to be a strong hub for pharma products. 

“During the pandemic we have all seen how crucial supply security is for both The Netherlands and Europe,” van der Meer stated. “Schiphol and its cargo community are eager to use their expertise and infrastructure in combination with the Smart Cargo Mainport Program to boost digitalisation and innovation and improve the handling of pharma products.”