Swissport's air cargo centres at Liège Airport (LGG) in Belgium and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) in Canada have been certified to IATA's CEIV Pharma standard.

Swissport’s cargo facilities at LGG and YYZ have both obtained IATA’s CEIV Pharma certification, marking the company’s 16th and 17th certifications for pharma warehousing.

In a statement, Swissport noted that Liège is its second CEIV Pharma-certified facility in Belgium after Brussels.

It is also the second certified cargo location in Canada, as Swissport was recognized as the first CEIV Pharma-certified air cargo handler in Canada with its operations at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) in 2018.

Swissport said the new Swissport Pharma Center in Liège is part of a larger air cargo facility totalling some 6,000 sqm.

It comprises two temperature-controlled storage units which operate at temperature ranges of 02-08° C and 15-25° C.

Each cool room has an area of 180 sqm and can hold up to 15 unit load devices. In Toronto, the Swissport Pharma Center is part of a 4,825 sqm cargo facility. It also comprises two cool rooms operating at ranges of 02-08°C and 15-25°C. Each cool room can hold up to 40 skids or three PMC pallets.

"We are thrilled to see Liège join Swissport's growing network of Pharma Centers," said Dirk Goovaerts, CEO of Continental Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Global Cargo Chair at Swissport.

"This latest CEIV certification in Liege, where Swissport operates a state-of-the-art pharma centre with end-to-end refrigeration solutions, is a testament to our infrastructure investment and the operational expertise of our team."

Goovaerts noted that its capabilities in Liège — one of the leading hubs for pharmaceutical shipments in Europe —  "perfectly complement" its established offering in Brussels, Belgium, and other European pharma centres such as Frankfurt, Germany, and Basel, Switzerland.

"The CEIV Pharma certification of our cargo operation at Toronto Airport is a recognition of the efforts and investments that went towards upgrading our infrastructure, refining our process and upskilling our teams," commented Charles Roberge, CEO of Swissport Canada. "It solidifies Swissport's leader role in pharma handling in Canada."

Around the world, Swissport is successfully expanding its presence in pharmaceutical handling.

June marked the opening of a new 400 sqm facility for temperature-controlled cargo at Dublin Airport in Ireland. In May, the Swissport air cargo centre at Barcelona-El Prat Airport renewed its CEIV Pharma certification.

In addition, the Swissport cargo centre at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, was also expanded to include a new 750-sqm cold storeroom.

The company now operates 21 Swissport Pharma Centers, complemented by 74 pharma-capable air cargo warehouses and plans to bring additional facilities under its Pharma Center brand.