WFS is in the process of acquiring certification for either Good Distribution Practice or IATA CEIV Pharma at major locations across its network, which includes the construction of new facilities at stations in Paris, Milan and Copenhagen, amongst others.
The volume of pharmaceuticals handled by WFS in Brussels rose by some 170% in 2016 and is expected to reach new heights this year. In the first 10 months of 2017, volumes have already exceeded 3m kilogrammes.
Marc Claesen, Regional Vice President of WFS in Belgium, said: “We are proud to be the first WFS station in Europe with CEIV accreditation and to be supporting our customers and the efforts of Brussels airport to create the world’s first CEIV-certified airport community.”
WFS has installed two new dedicated pharma cells in its main warehouse in Brussels to accommodate pharma products requiring a 15-25°C and 2-8°C temperature range. It has also adopted specific pharma handling procedures and provided training for its staff working in the upgraded facility.
John Batten, WFS’ EVP Cargo Europe Middle East Africa & Asia, added: “Delivering further improvements to our pharma handling services at major stations is one of our key areas of focus and this will continue in 2018 with investments and GDP or CEIV certifications at more of our locations with high pharma volumes.”
