Virgin Atlantic deploys CSafe RAP containers for pharma, life-science cargo

Virgin Atlantic Cargo is now accepting bookings for the new CSafe RAP container for large shipments of pharmaceutical and life-science products. The carrier is the first U.K.-based airline to approve the use of CSafe’s new RAP container for temperature-sensitive healthcare products, just days after the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approved the unit for use by European carriers.

Darren Sherlock, manager of products and partnerships at Virgin Atlantic Cargo, said that, with Virgin’s pharma volumes growing by more than 20 percent in 2017, compared to 2016, and the recent opening of its new “Pharma Zone” at London Heathrow, “this latest enhancement to our service offering underlines our commitment to be a leading provider of pharma transportation.”

The CSafe RAP is the only U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)- and EASA-approved, compressor-driven container permitted in both the upper and lower deck cargo sections of commercial aircraft.

Along with its active heating and cooling technologies, the RAP container also uses ThermoCor VIP insulation to eliminate the risks to payloads associated with extreme ambient-temperature conditions and long-duration shipments.

CSafe added that the transportation unit maintains constant payload temperatures, even at ambient temperatures ranging from -30°C to +54°C, and also has an extended battery life of well over 100 hours.