In early June 2019, Schenker Korea received its CEIV Pharma Certification at the IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Seoul. The award ceremony on June 3, 2019, was organized by IATA Korea, and the certificate was presented by Alexandre de Juniac, director general and CEO of IATA, to Schenker Korea CEO Dirk Lukat.

The Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics, or CEIV Pharma, is an IATA program designed to address the pharmaceutical industry’s need for increased safety, security, compliance and efficiency, through the creation of a globally consistent pharmaceutical product-handling certification. The accreditation officially recognizes Schenker Korea – already an established leader in the transportation of pharmaceuticals and healthcare equipment – for its commitment to ensuring product integrity and the safety of healthcare products via air freight.

In response to the growing demand for increased quality standards in the healthcare sector, Schenker Korea has taken a proactive stance in promoting the standardization of safety, security and compliance for pharmaceutical goods over the past year-and-a-half.

In January 2018, the Incheon Airport CEIV Pharma Committee was formed through the initiative of Schenker Korea by the Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), with the objective of verifying end-to-end logistics processes, from the point of arrival of goods, up until the final delivery. This partnership required a strong collaboration between IIAC, Korean Airlines, Asiana Airlines, and DB Schenker. In July 2018, IATA conducted a two-week CEIV Pharma training with more than 30 representatives from the 4 participating organizations. The training was followed by a preliminary assessment in August 2018 held by IATA validators. From there, further preparation and validation ensued until the successful audit in May 2019.

Hanmin Kim, head of Air Freight at Schenker Korea, said that the certification is an official recognition of Schenker Korea’s pharmaceutical transportation and operational capabilities. Schenker Korea will continue to actively engage in multiple services for the healthcare industry by providing the highest standards of service quality through its competent network of experts, contributing to the overall growth of the healthcare industry, globally and in South Korea.