Cargolux leases Thermosafe’s PharmaPort containers

Luxembourg-based Cargolux is bolstering its cold-chain capabilities in a new deal with temperature-controlled packaging company Thermosafe for use its PharmaPort container – an active bulk shipping container with data-collection enablement – across its international network.

Cargolux is a prominent international carrier of pharmaceuticals and the first airline ever to obtain its Good Distribution Practice (GPD) certification, which outlines a framework surrounding the transport of perishable goods. It operates a network that connects Europe to destinations in the Americas, Africa, and Asia-Pacific regions, such as China and Australia.

“These containers go one step further in the secure and smooth transportation of sensitive commodities,” said Franco Nanna, Cargolux’s director of global service.

The PharmaPort is an “active” container, meaning it uses electrical systems to keep products cold for much longer than low-tech passive solutions and is able to keep products within the -40°C to 60°C range temperature stable.

Christopher Day, director of business development, leasing services at Thermosafe said that the company has 300 PharmaPort units available for lease, at present, with the potential to add onto the fleet should demand increase. “One of the complaints is not being able to get active units when you want,” Day said. “If somebody called and said, ‘I need a PharmaPort in three days,’ they can accommodate that,” speaking of the Cargolux partnership.

Each container is also embedded with data-collecting hardware for cloud-based track-and-trace access, meaning shippers don’t have to use “drop-in” data-collecting hardware from a third-party. The containers are available to airlines on a rental basis.

To read more about cold-chain innovations, read our feature Following the Pack, in which Thermosafe’s director of business development, leasing services, told Air Cargo World more about the company’s service portfolio.