Initial stations will include American’s hub and home base Dallas-Fort Worth International and Miami International airport. As the largest airline at Miami airport, American’s certification will bolster the airport’s Pharma Hub initiative. AA Cargo will also certify Philadelphia International in support of its dedicated, 25,000 square-foot pharmaceutical and healthcare handling facility that opened last year.
The IATA certification will serve to verify that the facilities, processes and operations are in compliance with all regulations and suitably effective for the correct handling of temperature-sensitive products; efforts American has focused on heavily over recent years. “We’re extremely proud of our temperature-control network,” said Tom Grubb, AA’s Manager of Cold Chain Strategy for its cargo division. “Our focus is on moving pharmaceuticals safely and efficiently across the globe, and being the first US carrier to promote this certification will help show our partners and customers how confident we are in our abilities to offer the best cold chain service possible.”
ExpediteTC, American Airlines Cargo’s premium temperature-control programme, was developed for the superior handling and shipping of pharmaceutical and healthcare commodities, such as vaccines and blood products, throughout the supply chain. Given the delicate nature of these products and the importance of their safe transportation to the end patient, AA plans to invest in CEIV across its global network, starting with key hubs.
As the demand for temperature management services continues to grow rapidly, American hopes that the large scale roll-out of the certification will demonstrate its investment in providing an increasingly enhanced experience for its global cold chain customers.
