The Vienna Airport Pharma Handling Center (VPHC) increased its total tonnage by 64% in 2022 compared to the previous year as tonnages at pharma handling continue to rise strongly.
In the announcement, the gateway said with the handling of more than 3,600 tons of pharmaceuticals, biotech products and other temperature-sensitive goods, an increase of over 1,400 tons was recorded.
Source: Vienna Airport
"With the handling of another record tonnage, the highly modern and specialised facility further strengthens Vienna Airport as a relevant pharmaceutical hub for Central and Eastern Europe," it added.
Increase in pharma demand
The airport said, in particular, since the Covid-19 crisis, the VPHC is covering a strong increase in demand for the handling of temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals.
Vienna Airport said it grew its pharmaceutical tonnages by around 173% in 2022.
In addition to the ongoing uncertainties in international sea traffic, the ongoing internationalisation of the pharmaceutical and biotech industries is also driving the need to safely transport these time-sensitive and fragile goods by aircraft.
"The GDP-certified VPHC is well prepared for a continuation of the trend towards increasing pharmaceutical transports," the airport said.
Vienna Airport further said that the state-of-the-art equipment, strictly optimised processes and a special pharma team guarantee strict adherence to exact temperature specifications for both handling and storage.
Two large-scale cold storage facilities offer warehousing options for temperatures ranging from 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (150 square metres) and 15 to 25 degrees (1,600 square metres).
Leading pharma hub for Central, Eastern Europe
In combination with sensitive sensor technology, a comprehensive temperature detection system provides seamless monitoring and documentation of the whole supply chain.
It added that the closely timed road feeder network and Vienna's central location enable fast onward distribution via Europe's dense road network. Within 36 hours, 23 countries can be reached by road.
"The repeated record tonnage of the Vienna Airport Pharma Handling Center shows that Vienna Airport is an indispensable and leading pharmaceutical hub for Central and Eastern Europe. At the same time, this underlines the high quality of handling at the VPHC. Here we provide the increasingly internationally active pharma sector with important and, above all, safe access to the often life-saving cold chains," said Michael Zach, vice president of sales, finance & cargo, ground handling & cargo operations at Vienna International Airport.
"Thanks to highly modern equipment, GDP certification and optimised processes, the VPHC enables reliable and speedy handling and is also well equipped for the increasing demand in the future," he added.