Etihad Cargo has announced the introduction of cool dollies, enhancing its Abu Dhabi tarmac transportation fleet. 

The cargo carrier said the introduction of cool dollies for the transportation of pharmaceutical and perishable shipments will enable the carrier to fully complete its temperature-controlled cool chain capabilities at its Abu Dhabi hub. 

“In partnership with Etihad Airport Services Cargo, Etihad Cargo has added dedicated cool dollies for pharmaceutical and perishable products to provide maximum safety to the carrier's partners and customers at every stage of the handling process,” the announcement said.

It added that the specialised containers will offer a closed, temperature-controlled system to ensure the reliable and seamless transportation of high-value and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical cargo between the carrier's aircraft and state-of-the-art cool chain warehouse.

“Etihad Cargo is committed to the safe, reliable and robust transportation of temperature-sensitive cargo via its IATA CEIV Pharma-certified PharmaLife and IATA CEIV Fresh-certified products,” said Thomas Schürmann, head of cargo operations & delivery at Etihad Cargo, adding that part of this commitment is ensuring cargo is transported between the aircraft and cool chain facilities as fast as possible and mitigating the risks associated with outdoor and environmental conditions during the cargo’s journey. 

“Etihad Cargo and Etihad Airport Services Cargo have partnered to introduce dedicated cool dollies at the carrier’s Abu Dhabi Airport hub to minimise the time that temperature-sensitive cargo is exposed to external factors, such as high temperatures.”

Schürmann added that these specialised containers not only control the temperature but also enable Etihad Cargo to access the data records, providing Etihad Cargo with increased visibility of this Critical Control Point to reduce, eliminate and prevent hazards.

Naresh Ranganathan, acting vice president of cargo at Etihad Airport Services Cargo, said: “We recognise the importance of a secured cool chain and the demand from our airline and its customers to ensure their shipments are protected during their transit through Abu Dhabi International Airport. Therefore, we are very pleased to introduce these cool dollies, which will, in the initial phase, be used exclusively to transport pharmaceutical and perishable products to and from the aircraft from our cargo facilities.”

“As a CEIV Pharma and Fresh-certified cargo handler, this further reiterates our commitment to providing best-in-class services to ensure the safe and efficient carriage of pharmaceuticals through our airport,” he added.

Etihad Cargo noted that the cool dollies can be set to temperatures between +2 and +25 degrees Celsius, and an in-built alarm system sends alerts if the temperature fluctuates beyond the set parameters, among others.

The cool dollies also present a greener choice, promising a longer isolation cell life, easy and low-cost maintenance, and significantly reducing overall consumption, fuel costs and environmental impact due to fewer thermal dispersion points and the dollies’ high thermal insulation and UV reflection properties.

“By providing a fully temperature-controlled solution, Etihad Cargo will enable customers and partners to reduce risks, as cargo will be exposed to the elements for the absolute minimum amount of time. With these brand-new cool dollies, Etihad Cargo is bridging the last gap in its global cool chain offering by providing continuity and stability with advanced temperature-controlled solutions during the most critical step of air cargo transportation,” Schürmann explained.

Since launching PharmaLife, Etihad Cargo has introduced several features and initiatives to enhance the carrier's cool chain capabilities.

This latest addition follows the introduction of dedicated thermal covers and the launch of a state-of-the-art cool chain facility at Abu Dhabi Airport. Established in partnership with Etihad Airport Services Cargo and Abu Dhabi Airports, the new facility has doubled Etihad Cargo's cool chain capacity to carry and accommodate an additional 50,000 tonnes of cool chain commodities, including pharmaceuticals and life sciences products.

Etihad Cargo noted that the pharma hub will support the growing global healthcare and life sciences demand and is in full alignment with Abu Dhabi's vision to establish the emirate as a global pharmaceuticals and life sciences hub.