With Frankfurt Airport handling around 120,000 tonnes of pharmaceuticals in 2019, airport operator Fraport and Lufthansa Cargo, along with other partners of the air cargo community at the site, said the state-of-the-art pharma hub in Frankfurt is well prepared to handle and ship temperature-sensitive goods—or a possible corona vaccine.

Currently around 12,000 square metres of temperature-controlled handling capacity with direct apron access are available at Frankfurt Airport, with two thirds located in the Lufthansa Cargo’s Frankfurt hub, with an additional 2,000 square metres about to be operated. 

Aside from having 20 ultra-modern thermal transporters, Fraport has been CEIV certified since 2018, and so have eleven other service companies in Frankfurt, whilst freight forwarders and airlines meet the EU GDP standard. This means that more than 75 percent of the transport routes at the airport are certified, the airline explained. 

“Frankfurt Airport offers the ideal infrastructural conditions for the handling of pharmaceutical goods. We are closely monitoring the current research for a corona vaccine. When the time comes, we will provide the best possible support together with our partners in the distribution of vaccines and medicines,” says Max Philipp Conrady, Fraport’s head of central cargo infrastructure. “Already during the handling of urgently needed protective equipment and partly vital pharmaceutical goods at the beginning of the year, we showed that we, as a cargo community, make an essential contribution to supplying the population.“ 

Awaiting a possible corona vaccine, Lufthansa Cargo is confident its 31 pharmaceutical stations worldwide will ensure quick transport of temperature-sensitive goods, such as vaccines or medicines. The cargo airline expects these pharma hubs to be all CEIV Pharma-certified by the end of 2021. 

“The last few months have clearly shown us how important well-functioning supply chains are, especially in times of crisis. When it comes to transporting a vaccine against the coronavirus, Lufthansa Cargo will also do everything it can to enable fast distribution by air,” said Jörg Bodenröder, director of handling specials at Lufthansa Cargo.”