Lufthansa Cargo, Swiss World Cargo and time:matters, has joined the Pharma.Aero as a member.
Belgium-based Pharma.Aero is an international collaboration platform for medical technology and pharmaceutical companies, as well as for logistics experts, freight companies and airport operators, operating across all sectors — with more than 50 partners and members.
In a statement, Lufthansa Cargo noted that the joint membership of Lufthansa Cargo, Swiss WorldCargo and time:matters underline the Lufthansa Group's approach in terms of interlocking exchange and also cooperation in complementary offers for pharmaceutical customers.
During this year's World Cargo Symposium in Istanbul and at LogiPharma 2023 in Lyon, Lufthansa Cargo, Swiss WorldCargo and time:matters announced their membership with Pharma.Aero.
Pharma transport
All partners confirmed their interest in promoting and further deepening the exchange of innovative solutions in the airfreight transport of goods from the medical and healthcare segment.
It added that time-critical medical technology or temperature-sensitive medicines such as insulin or vaccines require professional and fast transport by air freight in special refrigerated containers and the handling requirements are "high and require strict processes and specifications" as well as investments in ground infrastructure.
Lufthansa Cargo noted its many years of experience in the transport of medical goods and pharmaceuticals.
It noted that every week, Lufthansa Cargo transports up to 1,400 tons of pharmaceutical goods.
Lufthansa Cargo is very active at more than 250 pharmaceutical stations, including around 30 CEIV pharmaceutical locations.
Particularly noteworthy are the large and modernly equipped pharmaceutical hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Brussels, Shanghai and Chicago.
It said that the Pharma Hub in Frankfurt alone has already been in existence for ten years, has three temperature zones and is Europe's largest airport hub with an area of 8,000m2.
In addition, the expanded cargo capacities in the short- and medium-haul segment with A321 freighters offer even more direct connections for pharma customers, for example on routes between Frankfurt to Dublin or also Birmingham.
Meanwhile, it said that Swiss World Cargo is also a trusted niche partner of freight forwarders and pharmaceutical and healthcare logistics companies for the transportation of high-value, time-sensitive and high-care pharmaceutical shipments — providing its customers with CEIV-certified and GDP-compliant temperature-controlled infrastructure, facilities and logistics solutions across its entire network.
time:matters, for its part, has been an expert in the worldwide transport of time-critical and temperature-sensitive products, such as cell material and medical samples for use in cell and gene therapy for more than 20 years.
"We are very pleased to become part of the Pharma.Aero network and to exchange views directly with all players along the supply and transport chain on current issues in the pharmaceutical industry environment," said Ashwin Bhat, chief executive officer at Lufthansa Cargo, noting that the exchange of knowledge sharpens understanding — not only for the needs of business partners and customers, but also for the existing and future demand for products.
"We would like to make our contribution here with our know-how from the Lufthansa Group perspective, work closely together and thus actively shape the future of innovative transport solutions in the airfreight segment," Bhat added.
Lars Krosch, COO at time:matters, is looking to contribute its knowledge on the transport of cell and gene therapies logistics — which he said, "differ significantly from those of traditional pharmaceutical logistics solutions."
"We look forward to contributing our long-standing expertise to the development of a global logistics infrastructure to provide patients with better access to advanced therapies and healthcare services," Krosch added.
Trevor Caswell, chairman of Pharma.Aero, welcomed the new additions, as he noted the importance of collaboration in the further development of the transport of life sciences and the MedTech sector.