DOHA: Qatar Airways Cargo announced the launch of additional Pharma Express flights from the pharmaceutical hubs of Basel and Brussels to Doha, providing a unique and dedicated air service to the growing pharmaceutical industry.
Basel and Brussels are both home to the headquarters of major pharmaceutical companies, while the Swiss chemical exports are largely shipped out of Basel.
Qatar Airways Cargo has added an additional weekly frequency, operating on Fridays, from Basel to Doha and will launch two additional Airbus A330 freighter services from Brussels to Doha on Wednesdays and Saturdays commencing 15 February. These newly added frequencies take the cargo carrier’s total Pharma Express flights to nine per week.
Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo Ulrich Ogiermann said: “Air cargo standards for handling time-and-temperature-sensitive commodities such as pharmaceuticals are becoming more stringent, especially with the stricter guidelines on temperature control requirements.
“Our Pharma Express flights are launched to cater to the rapidly expanding pharmaceutical industry. We are extremely proud to be the only international air cargo carrier to offer dedicated Pharma Express flights to the world’s major pharmaceutical and healthcare industry hubs.”
QR Pharma is the cargo airline’s specialist product developed for pharmaceuticals and healthcare products.
Pharma Express flights were launched by Qatar Airways Cargo in 2015 and currently operate from pharmaceutical hubs such as Brussels, Basel, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, transporting more than 30,000 tonnes of pharmaceuticals each year. These routes are served by the Airbus A330 freighter aircraft, offering 65 to 68 tonnes of capacity each way.
QR Pharma is the cargo airline’s specialist product developed for pharmaceuticals and healthcare products. It offers both active solutions to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the transportation chain, as well as passive solutions, which keep the pharmaceuticals within a defined temperature band at all stages of the journey.
As an industry leader, the cargo carrier ensures the fastest transfer at Doha through its unique Quick Ramp Transfer (QRT).
Pharmaceuticals can be kept within a defined temperature throughout the entire journey.
