Oman Air announced that it has been certified IATA Center of Excellence for Independent Validators for Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma), confirming the airline’s capabilities for safeguarding the integrity of time- and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products from point of origin to destination.

In successfully obtaining the industry-wide standard, Oman Air —  the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman — now aims to grow its participation as an important carrier for the global biopharma industry.

Abdulaziz Al Raisi, CEO of Oman Air, welcomed the development and noted how the certification is especially important at the time when the entire industry is working to move coronavirus vaccines worldwide.

“I am delighted to announce that Oman Air has been certified by IATA for CEIV Pharma. The certification underpins our capabilities as a global cargo carrier for the quality handling of time- and temperature-sensitive healthcare products,” Raisi said. 

“This is especially significant during the current COVID crisis, a time when the integrity of vital medications, including vaccines, relies entirely on safe and dependable cold chain expertise both in the air and on the ground. To do so, our customers can benefit from our state-of-the-art facilities at the Muscat International Air Cargo HUB.”

Driven by the global biopharma industry, IATA’s CEIV Pharma program encompasses and, oftentimes, supersedes many of the existing standards and guidelines including European Good Distribution Practice, World Health Organization (Annex 5) and the United States Pharmacopeia Standards.

Obtaining certification demands a high level of commitment from airlines along with exacting standards for pharmaceuticals handling.

The airline noted that it successfully completed a thorough analysis of its business processes and product quality environments, and underwent rigorous evaluation of its pharmaceutical quality management systems, process standards and document review, risk assessments and several internal audits.

CEIV Fresh certification

Earlier this year, Oman Air also obtained IATA CEIV Fresh Certification for the handling and transport of perishable products.

“Being certified both CEIV Pharma and CEIV Fresh positions Oman Air as a leading airline for the integrity of cold chain logistics,” Raisi noted.