Singapore Airlines has launched THRUCOOL, a new service for the transportation of high-value, time-sensitive and temperature-controlled pharmaceutical cargo.

According to Singapore Airlines, THRUCOOL offers dedicated cold chain services to safeguard the integrity of pharmaceutical and healthcare shipments during air transportation, including priority uplift and handling, quick ramp transfers at airports, cold room facilities and thermal blankets and covers for insulation from external factors. Customers can also opt to place shipments in temperature-controlled containers, and track their location during the shipping process.

“As the first airline in the Asia-Pacific region to be CEIV Pharma-certified, the launch of THRUCOOL reinforces our commitment to provide customers dedicated cold chain services when transporting time- and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical shipments,” said Chin Yau Seng, senior vice president of cargo at Singapore Airlines. “We are acutely aware of the life-saving role these shipments play in societies across the world and THRUCOOL is our assurance that our customers’ cargo will receive the best care not only on our flights but also on the ground during transit. We will continue to collaborate with our industry partners to expand our network of quality corridors to further promote the integrity of pharmaceutical products in their journey across key trade lanes.”

To further preserve product integrity both on the ground and in the air, the airline has partnered with terminal operators SATS in Singpaore, Cargologic in Zurich and Qantas Freight in Sydney to launch a quality corridor along the Zurich-Singapore-Sydney route as an initial offering. The corridor complies with standards adopted from the International Air Transport Association’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics programme and addresses the industry’s need for safety, care and efficiency in the transportation of pharmaceutical and healthcare products, reducing the potential for product loss due to handling and environmental factors such as temperature excursions during carriage.

Singapore Airlines became the first Asia-Pacific airline to be awarded the CEIV Pharma certification in January 2017 and is part of CEIV communities Pharma@Changi and Pharma.Aero, which jointly pursue innovation in the shipping of pharmaceuticals. The Singapore Airlines Group offers air cargo services to more than 130 destinations with a fleet of seven Boeing 747-400Fs and more than 190 passenger aircraft.