The air cargo industry transports a vast amount of pharmaceutical goods with 28% of the industry’s cargo being biopharmaceuticals and approximately 35% of all pharmaceuticals being transported by air. 

IAG Cargo is working to serve this increasingly key market through its highly trained teams, bringing many years of experience delivering temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical and bio-science products.

“We benefit from three established world-class specialist hubs at London Heathrow, Madrid Barajas and Dublin which are Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certified facilities. The hubs connect to a network of over 100 specialist stations worldwide staffed by IAG Cargo teams specially trained in handling sensitive pharmaceutical goods,” Jordan Kohlbeck, Head of Pharmaceutical at IAG Cargo said. 

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Services and certifications

Ensuring a temperature-controlled, swift, and secure transportation for the pharmaceutical industry remains a crucial aspect of IAG Cargo’s services and led to the development of its Constant Climate product.

This is IAG Cargo’s state-of-the-art cold chain product for transporting temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products as air cargo. As a carrier, they know the transportation stage is a vital stage in the cool chain and whether it’s life-saving vaccines or diagnostic samples, IAG Cargo works to ensure it stays in perfect condition every step of the way during its journey with us. 

“We’re pleased to have established a vast Constant Climate network throughout the world, 21 of which are in the US,” Kohlbeck said.

Another product that IAG Cargo is able to offer customers is Critical, their emergency solution for urgent cargo, which was expanded in 2019 to 24 hours a day and seven days a week service, important for life-saving medicines and pharmaceutical materials.

“Critical will stop at nothing to ensure that shipments are securely accelerated through our network to their final destination,” Kohlbeck explained.

Even in a post pandemic world there is a great demand for pharmaceutical transport and airfreight services are instrumental in meeting those. This is reflected in the figures where, this year, IAG Cargo has recorded a 45% rise in the number of medicines moved over their network in the first half of 2023 compared to the previous year.

“Air cargo carriers must comply with various international regulations and industry guidelines to ensure the safety and integrity of these products,” Kohlbeck said. “Our London Heathrow hub is one of the only air carrier airside facilities to be GDP certified and WDA licensed by a national competent authority – the UK’s Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). By adhering to these standards, we can provide our customers with the assurance that their sensitive shipments are handled in compliance with the highest quality and safety measures.”

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Opportunities and investment

The pharmaceutical landscape is witnessing a significant increase in the approval of cell and gene therapies. These innovative treatments hold tremendous potential but require an entirely new level of precision and speed in transportation. This is often due to the lifecycle of these therapies and the controlled environment they require to remain usable. 

“Air cargo carriers must adapt to these changing market conditions to accommodate the specific requirements of the industry by offering specialised services, tailored infrastructure, and dedicated handling procedures, and IAG Cargo is continuously evolving to meet these demands,” Kohlbeck said.

To cope with the opportunities available, this year, IAG Cargo opened New Premia, a state-of-the-art cargo handling facility, as part of a £100m investment into its London Heathrow campus. New Premia is a dedicated semi-automated cargo handling warehouse spanning over 10,000 sq m. It is equipped with 11 rapid-rise landside doors, enabling faster cargo collection and drop-off for four new large “transfer vehicles” which automate cargo transportation within the facility. 

The world-first integration of this technology with the existing Warehouse Management System allows for seamless regulation of freight movements and allocations to further optimise their operations. New Premia is one of the only Heathrow airside facilities to be GDP certified and WDA licensed by a national competent authority.

“With New Premia, we have introduced cutting-edge solutions to ensure the safe and efficient handling of temperature-sensitive cargo. Our state-of-the-art Constant Climate Quality Centre (CCQC) provides 29 cool cells and temperature facilities, enabling us to maintain precise temperature control ranging from +2°C to +8°C (COL), +15°C to +25°C (CRT), and -20°C (FRO). This means that pharmaceutical and life-science products can be stored in a controlled environment throughout their journey,” Kohlbeck added.

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Pharma trends

As the world continues to battle remnants of Coronavirus, as well as the Flu, vaccines and new booster shots continue to be of vital importance. In recent years, India and China have emerged as key countries for the pharmaceutical industry with over half of the pharmaceutical products imported to America coming from India, China, and Mexico. The United States has the highest demand for pharmaceuticals, making up 42% of pharmaceutical spending in 2022.

These nations play a pivotal role in the manufacturing of genetics and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), with India marked as the ‘pharmacy of the world’, supplying over 200 countries with pharmaceutical products and contributing to 60 percent of the world’s supply of vaccines.

China, on the other hand, boasts the largest share of active pharmaceutical ingredients production. These two global leaders have become integral to the pharmaceutical industry’s global supply chain, and their continued growth further reinforces the importance of efficient transport and distribution systems. Transporting personalised medication originating from Europe and America will continue to be a key growth area. 

“As we continue to see vaccine transport trending and the growth of pharmaceutical industries throughout the world, the air cargo industry is evolving to meet the stringent demands of the pharmaceutical sector. IAG Cargo currently has over 100 Constant Climate stations around the world, with 21 in the U.S. alone, and we plan to continue developing these stations to meet growing demand in locations such as Africa and South America,” Kohlbeck added.