HELSINKI: Finnair Cargo has become the first airline in the world to complete a certification programme for handling cold-chain pharmaceuticals organised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in collaboration with Brussels Airport, the airline announced on Tuesday.
Finnair Cargo is the largest air cargo carrier in the Nordics, transporting roughly 149,000 tonnes of mail and freight a year. Participation in the certification programme is part of the strategic shift of Finnair Cargo towards the transport of more fragile products. “We want to lead the way in transporting pharmaceutical products. We’re very proud to become the world’s first airline to earn the IATA Pharma certificate,” says Antti Kuusenmäki, a director at Finnair Cargo.
Pharmaceutical products, such as vaccines, pills and medications transported in liquefied form, are among the most delicate products transported as air cargo.