By Eli Mizrahi, head of commercial sales and customer service, cargo division, EL AL Israel Airlines

When you are responsible for transporting a shipment of life-saving vaccines, there is no margin for mistakes.

A slight temperature deviation or a few hours of delay on a sun-baked tarmac doesn’t just mean a financial loss; it can mean the difference between a patient receiving critical treatment and a hospital turning them away.

Maintaining an unbroken cold chain is likely one of the most complex challenges in the modern logistics industry.

I have seen first-hand how the global demand for temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals has drastically increased. To meet this demand, logistics providers must evolve beyond traditional freight methods. It requires constant commitment to precision, speed and resilience.

Here at EL AL Cargo, this is how we are navigating the high-stakes world of pharmaceutical logistics and setting a new standard for cold chain excellence.

The cold hard truth of the cold chain

Pharmaceuticals are the fastest-growing market segment in the air cargo industry, moving over a trillion dollars annually. Yet, they are incredibly fragile.

Temperature variations during transit remain the single greatest threat to the integrity of these sensitive products.

To combat this, being passive to temperature control is no longer sufficient. At EL AL Cargo, we engineered an ecosystem designed to eliminate environmental vulnerabilities from the moment a shipment arrives at our terminal to the moment it reaches its destination.

Our advanced pharmaceutical logistics solutions include:

• Active and passive temperature control: We use state-of-the-art active cooling containers, such as DoKaSch Opticoolers and Envirotainers, alongside advanced vacuum insulation panels (VIP) for passive packaging.

• Specialised ground handling: Tarmac exposure is the weakest point of the cold chain. We enforce a strict policy of minimal tarmac exposure times, ensuring cargo is moved swiftly from our temperature-controlled storage facilities directly to the aircraft.

• Climate-controlled compartments: All shipments travel in temperature-controlled cargo compartments with strict ‘no split’ policies to ensure the entire consignment remains intact and within the required temperature range.

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When every second counts: Mastering time-sensitive shipments

In the medical sector, time is just as critical as temperature. Whether it is an emergency medical device, a personalised gene therapy, or a highly perishable biopharmaceutical, standard cargo timelines are often too slow.

Logistics providers must adapt to the urgency of the healthcare sector. We have restructured our operations to prioritise critical shipments. For highly time-sensitive cargo, we offer shorter and more flexible cargo acceptance cut-off times.

We also provide guaranteed space allocation on our flights and ensure priority handling immediately upon arrival. This expedited flow reduces transit times significantly, mitigating risk and ensuring that life-saving supplies reach the front lines exactly when they are needed.

Resilience created in crisis

A logistics network is only as strong as its ability to operate under duress. Over the years, geopolitical complexities and global health crises have repeatedly tested the resilience of supply chains, especially in the Middle East.

During the onset of COVID-19, the world witnessed the catastrophic impact of supply chain paralysis. At EL AL Cargo, failure was not an option. We established an emergency air bridge, operating 11 dedicated flights from China to Israel to deliver millions of essential medical items, including ventilators, 900,000 protective masks, and 500,000 protective suits for medical teams.

This historical resilience is baked into our DNA since our first EL AL flight in 1948. Today, we maintain continuous operations during complex periods by leveraging our dedicated freighter aircraft, including our Boeing 737-800F. This dedicated capacity allows us to bypass the uncertainties of passenger flight schedules and maintain a reliable lifeline for the healthcare sector, no matter what is happening in the world.

Partner with a proven leader

The complexities of pharmaceutical shipping require more than just a transportation vendor; they require a strategic partner who understands the importance of what is inside the box.

At EL AL Cargo, our investments in cutting-edge cold chain infrastructure, specialised training, and dedicated freighter capacity reflect our unwavering commitment to the healthcare industry.