Etihad Cargo reported record cargo volumes last year following investments in its cool chain services.
The Abu Dhabi-headquartered airline saw its pharma volumes increase by 37% year on year in 2023 while fresh and perishable shipments were up 10%.
The airline said that the increases had come despite challenging market conditions and followed investment in its PharmaLife and FreshForward products.
“Contributing to the increase in cool chain volumes transported by Etihad Cargo in 2023 was the opening of the carrier’s dedicated pharma hub, which has doubled its cool chain storage and handling capacity,” the airline said.
The 3,300 sq m facility offers Road Feeder Service loading docks with levellers, insulation and floor work for faster loading with stricter temperature controls, increased storage space, additional build-up and breakdown zones and upgraded cool chain facilities for pharma handling and storage operations.
“Since launching the new pharmaceutical centre in July 2023, Etihad Cargo immediately achieved an increase in pharmaceutical volumes, recording a 39% increase in July, a 40% increase in August and a 41% increase in September,” Etihad added.
Etihad Cargo has also refurbished its perishables handling and storage facility. The carrier now operates a 3,000 sq m dedicated perishables temperature-controlled warehouse.
The carrier also holds IATA’s Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) certification in Pharmaceutical and Fresh logistics.
Leonard Rodrigues, acting managing director at Etihad Cargo, said: “Etihad Cargo is fully aligned with Abu Dhabi’s vision of becoming a global logistics, pharmaceuticals and perishables hub. The carrier’s commitment to quality combined with continuous product and infrastructure enhancements has enabled Etihad Cargo to achieve significant growth and contribute to the creation of a more resilient and robust global cool chain.”
Elsewhere, the carrier has developed more than 1,330 IATA CEIV Pharma/Good Distribution Practice (GDP)-certified trade lanes.
The carrier has also launched what it calls Pharma Corridor 2.0 between Abu Dhabi and Brussels.
“Etihad Cargo has provided the highest levels of assurance in the quality of handling to pharmaceutical shippers and forwarders through the establishment of pharma corridors between airports with cargo handling communities certified under the IATA CEIV Pharma programme,” the carrier said.
The carrier recorded a 10.3% increase in volumes transported via the corridor and has shipped over 70% more pharmaceutical and life sciences cargo volumes since the corridor’s creation.
Rodrigues added: “The establishment of Pharma Corridor 2.0 and an expansive global PharmaLife network has enabled Etihad Cargo to bring much-needed transparency, traceability and trackability to the sector, benefiting not only customers but also the global pharma supply chain.
“The unique collaboration and partnerships Etihad Cargo has pioneered have allowed the carrier to offer complete transparency on the status of temperature-controlled pharmaceutical shipments, recording quality, time, temperature, potential deviations and actions.
“Etihad Cargo is now actively exploring further opportunities to create additional corridors between Abu Dhabi and other key markets to bring these benefits to more regions critical to the manufacture and supply of pharmaceuticals.”
The carrier has also expanded its network and now flies to 70 destinations. Last year, the carrier added a fourth gateway destination in China — Ezhou — and offers more bellyhold cargo capacity across new passenger routes to Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, operating seven flights per week to each destination.
There are also seven new passenger flights to Chennai bringing the total number of weekly flights to 21, supported by a twice-weekly freighter service.
Rodrigues added: “Etihad Cargo’s partners have benefited from the carrier’s expanded operations in key regions and increased frequencies across critical trade routes for pharmaceutical and perishables flows.
“For example, India represents 30-40% of the global production of generic medications and supplies medicines to over 200 countries. The country is establishing itself as a healthcare hub, which is driving demand for PharmaLife, and Etihad Cargo is committed to supporting emerging and growing markets through new product features, technology and dedicated expertise.”
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