Swissport expands pharma network to Liege, Toronto

Swissport's cargo facilities at Liège Airport (LGG) in Belgium and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) in Canada have received IATA's CEIV Pharma certification, the company's 16th and 17th pharma warehousing certifications, respectively.

“Liège is Swissport’s second CEIV Pharma-certified facility in Belgium after Brussels. It is also the second certified cargo location in Canada: In 2018, Swissport was recognised as the first CEIV Pharma-certified air cargo handler in Canada with its operations at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL),” says an official release.

The new Swissport pharma centre in Liège is part of a larger air cargo facility totaling some 6,000 square metres. It includes two temperature-controlled storage units which operate at temperature ranges of 02-08° C and 15-25° C. Each cool room has an area of 180 sq.m and can hold up to 15 unit load devices. In Toronto, the pharma centre is part of a 4,825 square metres cargo facility. It also comprises two cool rooms operating at ranges of 02-08°C and 15-25°C. Each cool room can hold up to 40 skids or three PMC pallets.

“This latest CEIV certification in Liege where Swissport operates a state-of-the-art pharma centre with end-to-end refrigeration solutions is testament to our infrastructure investment and the operational expertise of our team. Our capabilities in Liège - one of the leading hubs for pharmaceutical shipments in Europe - perfectly complement our established offering in Brussels, Belgium, and other European pharma centres such as Frankfurt, Germany, and Basel, Switzerland,” says Dirk Goovaerts, CEO, Continental Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Global Cargo Chair, Swissport.

Charles Roberge, CEO, Swissport Canada adds: “The CEIV Pharma certification of our cargo operation at Toronto Airport is a recognition of the efforts and investments that went towards upgrading our infrastructure, refining our process and upskilling our teams. It solidifies Swissport’s leader role in pharma handling in Canada."

Swissport is successfully expanding its presence in pharmaceuticals handling globally. June marked the opening of a new 400 sqm facility for temperature-controlled cargo at Dublin Airport in Ireland, and in May, the Swissport air cargo centre at Barcelona-El Prat Airport renewed its CEIV Pharma certification. In addition, the Swissport cargo centre at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, was also expanded to include a new 750-sqm cold storeroom.

The company now operates 21 pharma centres, complemented by 74 pharma-capable air cargo warehouses and plans to bring additional facilities under its pharma centre brand, the release added.