Turkish Cargo became the first air cargo airline to concurrently achieve all three "CEIV Pharma, CEIV Fresh, and CEIV Live Animals" certifications, under the IATA CEIV (Center of Excellence for Independent Validators) program.
Turkish Cargo carries out the transportation of drugs/medical products, live animals and perishable products in compliance with international and industry standards.
"Having satisfied the requirements for the certifications in the wake of the training, assessment and validation processes created by IATA, with the objective of raising the bar in performance and operations related to the transport of special cargo products, to ensure compliance with the highest standards and ensuring continuous improvement, Turkish Cargo became a holder of the CEIV certificates which represent its approach based on excellence for the special cargo operations," the airline said in a statement.
The certifications have a validity period of three years.
Turhan Ozen, the chief cargo officer of Turkish Airlines noted that the industry is now "passing through the days pointing how vital the air cargo industry is for trade across the world as well as transportation."
"We really make much of the IATA CEIV certificates that prove that we meet the international standards at our special cargo operations, during such a vulnerable and critical period," he said.
Glyn Hughes, the global head of cargo at IATA, meanwhile said Turkish Cargo is now the world's first air cargo airline to concurrently hold all three CEIV certificates. It is also the first air cargo airline in Europe to have obtained the CEIV Live Animals certificate.
"The air cargo industry now enters a period whereby the vulnerability at the special cargo services is augmented, and the CEIV program intends to ensure that the sensitive cargo is transported and delivered at the highest standards, meticulously and punctiliously, as much as possible," Hughes said.
Maintaining its Dual Hub operations successfully, Turkish Cargo said it strictly implements the complete handling procedures together with its specialized teams at the special cargo warehouses and operational sites at the cargo facilities equipped with the state of the art technology available at the Istanbul and Ataturk airports.
