Avianca Cargo has become the first airline in the Americas to earn Good Distribution Practices (GDP) certification for pharmaceutical handling across its European network, following the certification of its operations in Madrid and Barcelona, Spain.
The certification is based on World Health Organization guidelines for the good
distribution practices of medicines.
Issued by SGS, an independent certification body, it verifies that Avianca Cargo meets requirements for handling, storing, distributing and transporting pharmaceuticals and other health care products while maintaining their quality and integrity throughout the supply chain.
Diogo Elias, chief executive of Avianca Cargo, said the achievement "marks a new
milestone in our strategy to strengthen our specialised pharmaceutical transport
services".
Elias added: "Together with our IATA CEIV Pharma certification, this achievement
reinforces our commitment to an industry that depends on safe, consistent and
traceable operations."
Madrid and Barcelona serve as strategic hubs for consolidating pharmaceutical shipments from across Europe.
Both cities are part of a network that gives Avianca Cargo greater control over its operations and enables it to offer a specialized, reliable supply chain connected to major markets.
Avianca Cargo said the certification was achieved in just six months, compared with the approximately 12 months typically required to complete the process for this type of audit.
