Turkish Airlines’ Istanbul cargo hub awarded CEIV certification

Turkish Airlines’ Istanbul Atatürk Airport cargo hub has been awarded the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV-Pharma) certification. Turkish Airlines Cargo hopes to leverage its CEIV certification to compete in a crowded cargo market. Turkish Cargo tonnage carried in the first half of 2016 rose 12 percent to 389,000 tonnes, however revenue fell by US$1 million, year-over-year, to $464 million.

Turkish Cargo has 3,000 square meters of specialized storage space at Istanbul’s busiest airport, dedicated to four different temperature ranges (from -20°C to +25°C), with healthcare products stored in a dedicated 1,030-square-meter space. Specialized spaces are housed within a 43,000-square-meter indoor cargo area. The Turkish Cargo facility sits on the carrier’s 71,000-square-meter footprint at the airport.

Turkish Cargo is also planning to commission “Thermal Dollies” services and deploy them for the temperature- and time-critical consignments in the near future. The Thermal Dolly is a temperature-controlled, wheeled cart that protects shipments from excessive heat on tarmacs that are used in climates with extreme, and sometimes moderate, temperatures.

The carrier explained that its CIEV certification certified Turkish to handle specialized shipments, including those of “pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnological products, diagnostic samples, precision healthcare devices, organs and tissues.”