IAG Cargo launches product for climate sensitive pharma shipments

Jul 27, 2017: The cargo handling division of International Airlines Group (IAG), IAG Cargo has announced that Constant Climate shipments are now able to fly under its Critical product, enabling emergency medical shipments to benefit from IAG Cargo’s highest priority service. The new enhancement means that shippers sending urgent pharmaceuticals now have access to the non-off loadable status and performance guarantees offered under Critical.

Less than a year since its launch, Critical has already carried over 2000 emergency shipments for businesses across the world. While the range of goods moved has been diverse – from pre-launch consumer electronic devices to formula one tyres to factory down machine parts – all have required the “must fly” status guaranteed by Critical.

Following successful trials of Constant Climate Critical across India, the UK and Europe, IAG Cargo is rolling out this new offering across all 109 Constant Climate enabled stations on its network.

Alan Dorling, global head, Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences commented: “We are proud of the significant investment that we continue to make into our Constant Climate product and the infrastructure that supports it. We were one of the first carriers to offer a dedicated pharmaceutical shipment product and today our teams across the world deliver the highest level of care and expertise when transporting high-value, temperature-sensitive goods.

The development of Constant Climate Critical means that we are now able to build on our offering by providing vital vaccines and emergency lifesaving medicines with a non-off loadable status. In addition to our highest priority grading, the product continues to safeguard temperature-specific shipment requirements, maintaining the purity, potency and stability of the lifesaving medicines that we carry.”

David Shepherd, commercial director at IAG Cargo commented: “Critical has been a real success; demand has come from right across our network and week on week we see both new requests and repeat business. We know that there is a real demand for guaranteed capacity and a must-fly service for urgent pharmaceutical products and it is crucial that we continue to innovate to ensure that we meet our customers’ needs.”

It is anticipated that Constant Climate Critical will be popular across key pharmaceutical trade lanes, from manufacturing hubs in India and Europe and into burgeoning pharmaceutical markets such as Latin America. The service offers guaranteed capacity up to the maximum aircraft operating limit, and a dedicated monitoring service through hubs at London Heathrow, Madrid and Dublin. Customers shipping through the carrier’s Heathrow and Madrid hubs will also benefit from a dedicated Critical check-in desk, significantly speeding up drop off and collection times.