Fraport AG Awarded CEIV-Pharma Certification Again

Fraport AG has once again received the IATA certification for exemplary handling of temperature-sensitive goods. The airport operator has many years of experience in handling pharmaceutical products. The CEIV certificate is now valid for another three years.

(Frankfurt/Main) The airport operator Fraport has been successfully certified again for its exemplary handling of time-critical and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical goods at the Frankfurt location. In 2018, the airline association IATA first awarded Fraport the CEIV certificate (Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics). In a further audit, the airport operator once again impressed with its comprehensive pharmaceutical process and received the CEIV certificate for another three years. As a global standard, there are internationally valid guidelines for the handling of pharmaceutical goods. These are guiding for airlines, airport operators, handling companies, and freight forwarders.

Successful Recertification

“The successful recertification once again demonstrates that our processes for handling sensitive pharmaceutical products are functioning. This award is further motivation for us to give our all in these challenging times to ensure that Frankfurt Airport maintains its position as Europe’s leading pharma hub,” says Siegfried Pasler, Head of Ground Services at Fraport AG. He adds: “During the Corona pandemic, we showed that air freight plays a significant role in supplying the population. And the distribution of vaccines is also of the utmost relevance at Frankfurt Airport. We contribute to this, among other things, through reliable ramp transports.”

Due to the ongoing Corona pandemic, the review this time took place entirely virtually. The IATA auditor made his judgment using documents and video sequences provided in advance. All interviews were conducted virtually. Pasler: “The circumstances were particularly unique for all involved this time. Thanks to excellent preparatory work, we were able to give the auditor a realistic insight into our processes.”

Audit for Various Areas

The audit assessed various areas: equipment, IT services, defined processes, and training concepts for employees. Here, the long-standing experience of Fraport’s ramp handling paid off. The 20 state-of-the-art thermal transporters currently used by the airport operator for transport across the ramp also impressed the auditor. The two newest cooling transporters are specifically designed for pharmaceutical products and allow for precise temperature control in the range of minus 20 to plus 30 degrees Celsius. Currently, nearly 13,500 square meters of temperature-controlled handling capacity are available at Frankfurt Airport. Approximately 120,000 tons of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and other medical goods are handled annually.

Photo: © Fraport
www.fraport.com