Etihad Cargo and logistics company, EFL Global, have completed the shipment of antiretroviral drugs from India to Brazil as carrier reported increased pharma volumes. 

The cargo and logistics arm of Abu Dhabi's Etihad Aviation Group said the consignment weighed more than 55,000 kilograms (kg) and was transported on behalf of a manufacturer head quartered in Hyderabad, India for delivery to São-Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in Brazil.

"The sheer size of the consignment and the need for stringent product integrity over such a long distance had seen other carriers turn down the shipment. Utilising Etihad Cargo’s pharmaceutical logistics capabilities and EFL’s extensive industry expertise, the shipment was successfully delivered, maintaining strict controls across the entire journey," said Martin Drew, senior vice president sales and cargo, Etihad Aviation Group.

He added that the cargo was carried from origin to destination in the same flight, with no vessel change in order to preserve the consignment's condition.

It transited through Abu Dhabi International Airport and Milan's Malpensa International Airport en-route to São Paulo, with real-time tracking and monitoring.

Increased pharma volumes 

In the statement, Etihad also noted how its pharma volumes has increased since the launch of its PharmaLife product last year saying that in the past year, Etihad Cargo has increased pharmaceutical shipments by 50%.

It said the IATA CEIV-certified product has facilitated Etihad Cargo’s support of Abu Dhabi’s HOPE Consortium’s efforts to serve global demand for Covid-19 vaccines.

Etihad Cargo currently operates across more than 1,050 IATA CEIV Pharma/GDP certified trade lanes.

"Driven largely from a demand for both CRT (+15 to +25°C) and COL (+2 to +8°C) segments, Etihad Cargo has also received strong growth for ERT (+2 to +25°C) shipments, launched at the end of last year," the airline said.