AIR CARG O WEEK


PHARMA


SUPPLEMENT


BIOPHARMA DRIVES GROWTH IN SPECIALISED ACTIVE AIR CARGO CONTAINERS


“The launch of our new station in Atlanta is a strategic move to strengthen our network in the US and provide quicker access to our Opticoolers in a key logistics region.”


T


he active container niche is a specialised, high-reliability segment of air cargo built around biopharma’s exacting needs. The competitive field is concentrated - Envirotainer, CSafe, DoKaSch, SkyCell with Swiss Airtainer emerging - and procurement decisions hinge on lane coverage, station


density, set-point needs and sustainability goals. The market’s value is small relative to wider cold-chain packaging, yet it is strategically important and growing with biologics and cell-and-gene pipelines. Over the last 18 months, the most material developments have been frozen set-points, lightweight solar-assisted RKNs and operating innovations that address empty returns - all of which improve resilience and cost on global pharma lanes. A recent development has seen DoKaSch Temperature Solutions


expanding its US presence with new service station in Atlanta. DoKaSch Temperature Solutions, a specialist in active temperature- controlled containers for the global air cargo industry, opened the station in collaboration with SEKO Logistics. The station commenced operations in May 2025. The new service station near Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta


International Airport, expands DoKaSch’s US and global network for


time-critical pharmaceutical logistics. Positioned close to


key life science clusters in the Southeast, including Raleigh– Durham, it ensures a high availability of Opticoolers for immediate deployment. This proximity allows pharmaceutical manufacturers and


forwarders to access temperature-sensitive temperature-controlled pharmaceuticals containers


at short notice, reducing lead times and ensuring the integrity of


throughout global


transport. The strategic location supports fast, reliable and sustainable cold chain solutions, enabling rapid deliveries to key markets across the Americas and worldwide. “The launch of our new station in Atlanta is a strategic move to


strengthen our network in the US and provide quicker access to our Opticoolers in a key logistics region,” said Andreas Seitz, managing director


of DoKaSch


Features and operating parameters to watch


• Temperature bands: +2 to +8°C and +15 to +25°C as standard; frozen settings (around -20°C) are rolling out on select models for APIs and some vaccines.


• Payload and form factor: RKN accommodates one US or EU pallet; RAP takes four US or five EU pallets, enabling better consolidation and slot efficiency.


• Telematics: Live monitoring and alerting are now standard on premium fleets, integrated either natively or via airline platform.


• Airline approvals and stations: Practical availability depends on carrier approvals and the density of maintenance and charging stations on the lane, which is why manufacturers invest in new service stations at hubs.


Temperature Solutions. “By positioning


containers closer to our customers, we support their operations with enhanced reliability and responsiveness.” Meanwhile, Swiss Airtainer, provider of the lightest and most


technologically advanced active RKN, in December 2024 announced that Delta Cargo had approved the SAT RKN under their Specialized Pharma – Approved Containers product. Delta Cargo is the first US- based passenger airline to approve the SAT RKN.


Active temperature-controlled containers Active containers are self-powered ULDs with integrated heating and cooling, typically set to +2 to +8°C, +15 to +25°C or, increasingly, sub-zero set points for frozen biologics. They rely on rechargeable batteries, compressor-driven HVAC and precise control systems, with many models now offering real-time telematics for lane visibility. Standard form factors are RKN (single-pallet footprint) and RAP (multi-pallet). Airlines approve specific manufacturers’ units and make them available on lease through pharma products and stations worldwide. Passive shippers use phase-change materials and insulation


without power; they dominate parcel and some bulk lanes. Active containers, by contrast, are chosen for tight temperature control over long sectors, variable ambient conditions, high-value payloads and when re-icing or lane conditioning is impractical. Airlines position and maintain active fleets at network stations, and shippers book them much like ULDs via forwarders. Carriers’ pharma products explicitly reference active units from the market’s leading brands. The wider


temperature-controlled packaging market across


modes (active and passive, parcel and bulk) is much larger - $13.1bn in 2024, $13.8bn in 2025 - but most of that value sits outside powered air ULDs. Given those anchor points, interviews and fleet disclosures imply


the active air-ULD niche sits in the low hundreds of millions of dollars per year, driven primarily by biopharma and clinical supply chains, with growth underpinned by biologics pipelines and stricter GDP compliance.


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