Singapore Airlines Cargo has become the first carrier in the Asia-Pacific region to obtain the Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics certification from the International Air Transport Association.

“We are honoured to have been awarded the IATA CEIV Pharma certification, which reinforces our commitment to our customers from the pharmaceutical sector to deliver the highest standards of care and professionalism in handling their time- and temperature-sensitive shipments,” said Yau Seng Chin, president of SIA Cargo. “We are acutely aware of the important role that these shipments play in serving the broader community, and hope that this certification will give our ultimate customers additional assurance and comfort that these shipments, which are often life-saving, are in good hands.”

According to SIA Cargo, the networks of Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and Scoot, covering more than 100 destinations, are included in the certification.

The CEIV Pharma certification assesses an airline’s operations, processes and training to ensure that they comply with international good practices and standards.

“The Asia-Pacific freight market is the largest in the world, accounting for close to 40% of total global trade,” said Glyn Hughes, global head of cargo at IATA. “Having SIA Cargo, one of the region’s largest operators, achieve CEIV Pharma certification is a significant boost not only for the airline’s customers but also the region. We congratulate them on their achievement and for taking the industry one step closer to having a global standard for transporting pharmaceuticals in place.”

SIA Cargo is one of six companies that form Singapore Changi Airport’s cargo community, which Changi Airport Group is supporting to undergo the CEIV Pharma certification process.

SIA Cargo and CAG are also members of Pharma.Aero, a new independent organization formed in October 2016 which aims to improve the quality of pharma handling by promoting collaboration between CEIV Pharma-certified airport communities.

SIA Cargo is the eighth carrier in the world to be awarded the CEIV Pharma certification, joining AirBridgeCargo, Air France, CAL Cargo Airlines, Finnair, KLM, Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines.