Global aviation logistics specialist Menzies Aviation has received a further Centre of Excellence of Independent Validators for Pharmaceutical Logistics accreditation (“CEIV pharma”) as recognised by IATA. This accreditation is for Menzies’ cargo operations at its Melbourne base and marks the company’s second accreditation in Australia. The accreditation is a formal endorsement to safely handle pharmaceuticals transported from all over the world into Melbourne.

Only last month, Menzies’ Sydney base became the first handling agent in the Oceania region to achieve CEIV pharma. The accreditation is significant for Menzies, as the IATA CEIV pharma underlines its capabilities for handling high-value, time sensitive and temperature-controlled pharmaceutical products with speed, consistency and efficiency. This achievement is particularly important, as Melbourne is Menzies’ second-largest cargo operation in the Oceania & South East Asia network.

Commenting on the news, executive VP for OSEA at Menzies Aviation Alistair Reid said: “It is fantastic to see the progress we are making in Australia as we continue to invest in our air cargo services. For our Melbourne operations to be awarded the CEIV pharma accreditation shortly after Sydney is a huge success and highlights our commitment to providing the highest standard of services and customer experience. Looking forward, we are excited to apply our learnings and experience to our bases globally so we can continue to provide the best service to our customers.”

With a team of 100 employees, the base handles annual throughputs of over 100,000 tonnes of cargo from key partner airlines and the certification is described as representing “an exciting opportunity” for potential future expansion of operations in the region. Moreover, the accreditation demonstrates Menzies’ commitment to offering the highest standards of handling pharmaceuticals and vaccines in the region, which is particularly important given the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, says the company.

At the end of June, Menzies announced that it had won the ground-handling contract to serve new airline Flyr at its home base of Oslo Airport (OSL).  Menzies will also serve the airline at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE).