pharmaceuticals


heating and compressor cooling technology and capable of accommodating up to five Euro or four US pallets, which recently secured a European Aviation Safety Agency airworthiness certificate. The main driver behind the development of the RAP e2, confirmed Persson, was pharmaceutical/healthcare and high-tech sector shipper demand for a large container which could actively heat and cool. AF-KLM Cargo has developed a portfolio of specialised


temperature-controlled services for the transportation of pharma/life science shipments under the product name Variation Pharma. Options include transporting pharma shipments in either ‘active’ temperature-controlled- containers capable of maintaining exact temperatures or containers that use thermal packaging and dry ice. The advantages of deploying


the former are outlined by Blok. “New generation compressor- controlled containers which can be kept cool or warm create the opportunity to move products at a constant temperature. That enables pharma shipments to be moved from the heat of India to the cold of Canada in winter, for example, without taking risks.” Lufthansa Cargo has


developed specialised temperature-controlled services for the transportation of pharma/life science shipments under the product name Cool/td which offers the option of transport in ‘active’ temperature-controlled containers or using various types of thermal packaging. Lufthansa Cargo’s future plans for that sector, said Breul,


include further investment in both new temperature- controlled container technology and the number of specialised containers deployed across its network from suppliers such as Envirotainer (Sweden), CSafe (US) and Dokasch (Germany), as well as in the relevant infrastructure at its hubs around the world.


OPTICOOLER The most recent example of that investment involved the launch of a new temperature-controlled container called the ‘opticooler’, developed jointly with Dokasch, which employs compressor technology rather than dry ice to control temperatures, “so it is ideal for transporting goods that must not come into contact with carbon dioxide”. Emirates SkyCargo services targeted at the pharma


industry are marketed under the brand name Cool Chain Solution and include an option to use Envirotainer temperature-controlled containers. The carrier has also invested in two other types of equipment geared to temperature-sensitive pharma products in the sometimes


extreme outdoor heat of its home hub in Dubai. One is a fleet of purpose-designed ‘Cool Dolly’ units


which can maintain lower deck ULDs (unit load devices) at temperatures between -4°C and +20°C during ramp and aircraft-to-aircraft transfer operations. The other is UV-resistant ‘White Covers’ designed to protect shipments from solar heat, “a low-cost option to safeguard healthcare products in the room temperature range and in insulated packaging”. Some airlines are also looking to develop new services


for pharma shipments requiring movement at ambient temperatures. One example is American Airlines Cargo, which last year significantly raised its profile in the pharmaceutical sector with the launch of an express temperature-controlled product, ExpediteTC. Joe Reedy, AA Cargo vice


president sales and marketing, said the ExpediteTC service, which is available throughout the carrier’s network worldwide, has over the last year produced the business growth expected when it was launched. Now, he continued, AA Cargo is “a few months away” from adding a passive TC solution, also geared to the needs of pharma customers. Swiss WorldCargo already offers


both a branded air cargo service for pharma products requiring a constant temperature during transit, Swiss °Celsius, and other packaging options for that industry. “Pharma shippers’ choice of service depends on the sensitivity and value of the products being shipped, so we differentiate between shipments requiring active temperature control, which can use the Swiss °Celsius service, and those with other requirements,” explained Gerard Gobat, Swiss WorldCargo product manager for Swiss °Celsius and Swiss Valuables. “We also have pharma products which are sent in special


packaging validated by the shipper. They are shipped either as general cargo or, in most cases, as express cargo. The choice depends on the lane, the transit time and the packaging and its ability to stand outside temperatures – so it is very important to liaise closely with the forwarding agent and the shipper so they can plan their logistics chain accordingly.” Expanding on that last point,


Bernd Maresch, speaking just prior to his recent departure from his post as head of cargo marketing and strategy at Swiss WorldCargo, explained how


AIR LOGISTICSCHINA 17


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