Shanghai Pudong International Airport Cargo Terminal Co., Ltd. has received the Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics certification from the International Air Transport Association for its new Cool Center.

The facility is the first to gain the certification in China.

“Having satisfied the IATA CEIV Pharma regulations, our new cool centre now fully complies with all the relevant standards expected by pharmaceutical manufacturers,” said Lutz Grzegorz, vice president of PACTL. “This further helps Shanghai Pudong International Airport move towards becoming the number one pharmaceutical gateway to China.”

The certification means that the facility is compliant with the relevant standards expected from pharmaceutical manufacturers in terms of temperature-controlled transportation between aircraft and terminal, storage facilities, equipment, operations and staff training.

The PACTL Cool Center measures 3,500 square metres and is designed to handle 100,000 tonnes of temperature-sensitive freight every year. Trial operations began in November 2015.

The CEIV Pharma certification was created by IATA to help achieve common standards in the growing pharmaceutical supply chain.