Swissport has launched its own quality label for warehouses, which meet the company’s standards for the storage and handling of temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical goods. 

Fourteen facilities will initially be labelled under the Swissport Pharma Center name, which will serve as operational benchmarks in Swissport’s network. 

The company says further facilities will be validated and may be brought under the label. 

By introducing its own quality label, Swissport plans to leverage its expertise from previous external certifications and build on its experience in running pharmaceutical logistics.  

Based on in-house validations, cargo operations which achieve set standards in terms of infrastructure, processes and staff training will be brought under the Swissport Pharma Center label. 

The first Swissport cargo warehouse was certified in 2015 by the IATA Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma). 

And so far, the 14 Swissport facilities have CEIV Pharma certification or the equivalent from the British MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency). 

Swissport’s cargo warehouse in Nairobi was awarded the certificatey in February, making it Swissport’s 10th such facility and the first one operated by an independent air cargo handler in Africa. 

“With the Pharma Center label we want to promote Swissport’s high service quality and process safety in the handling of temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products,” explained Hendrik Leyssens, vice president global operations for Swissport’s cargo division. 

“Linking air and ground transportation with safe warehouse logistics, Swissport Pharma Centers are key infrastructures in the growing global network of airborne pharma logistics,” he added 

Of the 115 cargo warehouses which Swissport runs around the globe, 72 facilities are equipped with temperature-controlled facilities, with workers trained to the required standards and procedures, the company noted. 

In the past three years, Swissport has seen double the volume for its pharmaceutical segment, with investments in infrastructure and services supporting the growth of this segment and of its global distribution network. 

With Covid-19 underscoring the need for a reliable and high-quality global supply chain, Swissport intends to play a leading role in airport logistics for pharmaceuticals.