Qatar Airways Cargo has been awarded the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) certification in pharmaceutical logistics.

The certification confirms the airline’s ability to efficiently handle pharmaceuticals and life science products. It covers Qatar Airways Cargo’s operations, including its quality management system and supplier management processes in Doha.

Qatar Aviation Services Cargo, the airline’s ground handling partner, has also received CEIV Pharma certification for its pharma handling and warehouse at Hamad International Airport in Qatar.

Qatar Airways’ chief officer cargo Guillaume Halleux commented: “We are glad to be awarded IATA’s CEIV Pharma certification for our capability in handling pharmaceutical and life science shipments with reliability and efficiency, compliant with international standards.

“Since we launched the product in 2014, significant investment and enhancements have been made to the QR Pharma product and our world-class hub, which ultimately benefits our customers. The validation by IATA is a milestone achievement and an award for all the hard work done over the past years since the QR Pharma product launch.”

IATA’s senior vice president, airport, passenger, cargo and security Nick Careen said: “The pharmaceutical industry relies heavily on air cargo for its speed and efficiency. As an industry, we have a duty to ensure that global standards and best practices are in place so that life science and pharmaceutical products are handled and transported accordingly and in cooperation between business partners to provide the high-quality services that customers demand, to ultimately safeguard patient safety.

“We are delighted to recognise Qatar Airways Cargo and Qatar Aviation Services as CEIV Pharma certified in Doha, raising the bar in the industry with a commitment to quality and continuous improvements. I congratulate both on this achievement.”

Along with the cargo warehouse and temperature-controlled sections at Hamad International Airport, the airline’s Climate Control Centre has also been certified. It is an airside transit facility for pharmaceuticals. The facility has two temperature-controlled zones operating at both 2-8°C and 15-25°C, with a capacity to hold a total of 156 ULDs (unit load devices) at a time.