Hong Kong, Brussels airports to form cool-chain corridor with Pharma.Aero

Today, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), Brussels Airport (BRU) and Pharma.Aero – a group centered around upholding pharma shipping standards – released news of a three-way collaboration to launch a pharma corridor that will create a seamless cold-chain link between the two major international airfreight hubs.

Shipments travelling along the route will be handled in compliance with IATA’s CEIV Pharma standards and be carried by CEIV Pharma-certified airlines.

Alaina Shum, general manager of aviation logistics for the airport authority at HKIA, said the airport is already taking steps to improve its temperature-sensitive capabilities with plans to take delivery of 19 cool-chain dollies for airlines’ use, as well as the construction of new apron shelters to protect the pharmaceutical shipments from the elements.

Steven Polmans, head of cargo and logistics at BRU, said the volume of pharma traffic between the two hubs, as well as between BRU other Asian and Australian destinations, is quite significant.

“Our aim is to grow the volume of pharmaceutical shipments at Brussels Airport by focusing on quality and transparency,” he said. “From the beginning, we have reached out to shippers and manufacturers to understand their requirements and work with them and the rest of our cargo community. We have been focusing on improving processes, finding innovative solutions and effectively implementing various projects.”

After the launch, Pharma.Aero intends to spread the initiative to its other member airports in an effort to form a network of pharma corridors that offer shippers CEIV Pharma-standard handling.