American Airlines Cargo has signed an agreement with the International Air Transport Association to obtain the Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics certification.

According to AA, it will now work with IATA to formalize the work plan and timeline development in advance of project commencement. Initial stations to be certified will include the carrier’s home base at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, as well as major hubs Miami International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport.

“We’re extremely proud of our temperature-control network,” said Tom Grubb, manager of cold chain strategy at American Airlines Cargo. “Our focus is on moving pharmaceuticals safely and efficiently across the globe, and being the first US carrier to promote this certification will help show our partners and customers how confident we are in our abilities to offer the best cold chain service possible.”

The CEIV certification consists of an impartial assessment of the facilities, processes and training involved in the handling of time- and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical shipments.

American launched a dedicated 25,000-square-foot pharma facility in Philadelphia in June 2015.