Air France-KLM-Martinair has become the first airline group to achieve IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) certification for pharmaceutical handling at two different hubs simultaneously. The group met this achievement at Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), and also for its respective airline processes.

Bram Gräber, executive vice president of AF-KLM, said that, in an increasingly demanding environment for time-and temperature-sensitive shipments, the CEIV certification confirms the group’s commitment to offering the highest possible standards for its customers.

The CEIV program was developed to improve the operational and preparedness procedures when dealing with pharmaceuticals, and also to counter the decline of air cargo’s market share of global pharmaceutical product transport.

AF-KLM added that it decided to pursue the standards set under CEIV-Pharma, rather than the European Union’s Good Distribution Practice (GDP) program, because IATA’s process provided an “excellent translation of industry regulations into air transport practice.”

Source: aircargoworld.com