AIR CARG O WEEK
WEEKLY NEWS
QUIET REVOLUTION IN PHARMA HANDLING
BY Anastasiya SIMSEK
AS pharmaceutical supply chains face growing complexity, global handlers are under pressure to eliminate weak links in the cold chain. For Swissport, that means re-engineering its infrastructure around predictability, precision, and real-time visibility. Dirk Goovaerts, CEO for the CEMEAI region at Swissport, says the company is building “cool facilities with intelligence baked in”, aiming to create a replicable model that works as consistently in Johannesburg as it does in Basel. “We have decided to set the standards with airside proximity, also in a modular layout, and we provide direct access from the ramp into the cool facility. So, we shorten the distance, and we also reduce the dwell time,” Goovaerts told Air Cargo Week. That attention to spatial design and time control is part of a broader rethink of how Swissport handles temperature-sensitive cargo — from door-to-door flow to predictive risk management. Infrastructure built for pharma, not adapted to it During the pandemic, the handling of vaccines forced many operators to retrofit existing facilities or rely on fragmented workarounds. Swissport took a different route: it used the urgency to establish repeatable, specialised infrastructure — most notably in its pharma corridors, which have now become a global model. “We have these kinds of facilities in about 25 airports worldwide, fully certified CEIV , but also GDP,” Goovaerts said. At major hubs like Basel and Frankfurt, Swissport’s “Edge” facilities incorporate multiple temperature- controlled zones (including -20°C for ultra-cold cargo), shorter transfer paths, and prioritised acceptance lanes for pharma. Automated material handling systems move ULDs without manual intervention, minimising human error and temperature excursions. “We apply the same principles as we have in our other cool facilities in the network… and we have embedded [them] into an automated material handling system so that the ULDs or the pallets can move very fast without manual intervention.” This reduces not only dwell time but also labour intensity — a point of growing importance as workforce constraints remain a persistent issue across ground handling.
Swissport’s scalable model A key differentiator in Swissport’s strategy is standardisation. From facility layout to SOPs and IT systems, the company is aiming for network-wide consistency without compromising local agility. “Our systems are designed for resilience,
“We are introducing, and we have already, solar-powered warehouses. And I think with the solar power, that’s how we then provide the electricity for the freezers and so on,” Goovaerts said. Sustainability is built into the facility design — from semi-automated roller decks that remove the need for forklifts, to energy-efficient cooling technologies sourced from suppliers focused on reducing consumption. These choices also improve workplace safety by reducing manual handling and vehicle traffic inside warehouses. “We are integrating sustainability in our cool chain through efficient systems and mostly electrified equipment, powered by solar.”
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redundant power, and automated alerts to keep our cargo
safe,” Goovaerts said. “In any temperature-controlled environment… any deviation triggers an immediate intervention.” This system not only alerts duty managers in real-time — via email or SMS — but also locks all alerts for post-event analysis, ensuring exceptions are tracked and lessons are captured. “The fact that it is an automatic alert means that it’s automatically addressed, but it’s not forgotten. We work with management by exception. We would like our leadership to analyse the exceptions, to learn from that, and then share best practices.”
Logistics meets design thinking Swissport’s redesign of pharma facilities is not just about compliance ; it’s about embedding resilience into the architecture of the cold chain. In practice, that means shorter distances, automated flows, fewer interventions, and more embedded intelligence. This approach is now being extended to other verticals. “We have introduced, let’s say, a flower corridor… a replication of the pharma corridor,” Goovaerts said. “It’s fully temperature-controlled, and can be used for flower principles, but also for pharma.” The modularity of the “Edge” model allows Swissport to adapt its facilities to different commodities and climatic conditions, without starting from scratch. The focus is less on infrastructure as a static asset , and more as a dynamic enabler. Temperature control is energy-intensive, and Swissport is well aware of the sustainability trade-offs. The company has committed to reaching 55 percent electric GSE by 2032 and net zero by 2050. But more immediately, it is retrofitting and designing facilities to reduce operational emissions now.
www.aircargoweek.com 01 DECEMBER 2025 ACW
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