Qatar Airways Cargo, SkyCell ink deal for pharma containers; plans ahead for Covid-19 vaccine logistics

September 29, 2020: Qatar Airways Cargo and SkyCell have signed an agreement to lease SkyCell containers. The addition of these temperature-controlled hybrid containers will provide the cargo carrier’s customers the choice of a wide range of containers in which to transport their pharmaceuticals across its extensive global network.

QR Pharma is Qatar Airways Cargo’s specialist product developed for pharmaceuticals and healthcare cargo. The significant investments in these hybrid containers and cold chain management is part of the cargo carrier’s strategy and commitment to improving and enhancing its product offering for the benefit of the pharmaceutical industry globally. With these investments, the airline is also preparing to support the logistics around the global vaccination plans, once the Covid-19 vaccine is ready.

Guillaume Halleux, chief officer cargo, Qatar Airways, said, “The logistics around pharmaceutical transportation is complex and being at the forefront of time and temperature sensitive transportation, we understand the intricacies of a seamless cool chain. Through this agreement with SkyCell, we are glad to expand our container offering under QR Pharma and present customers with more options to transport their sensitive products. The hybrid container establishes an entirely new product offering for our clients that are both safe and sustainable for our businesses and the planet.”

Chiara Venuti, director business development and airline partnerships at SkyCell, said, “Qatar Airways Cargo is a leading air cargo carrier with a specialised pharmaceutical offering and an extensive network. The cooperation will meet the growing demand for hybrid containers as safe and sustainable pharma solutions for sensitive and critical drugs such as vaccines.”

All SkyCell containers are 100 percent recyclable, helping to eliminate landfill by preventing product waste and reduce a shipment’s carbon footprint by up to 50 percent due to their capability to charge independently of an external power supply, without the requirement of dry ice and manual intervention. SkyCell’s hybrid containers are internet of things enabled, i.e. its temperature conditions are monitored as they move around the globe to ensure temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals are protected even under extreme conditions. With their efficient insulation and cutting-edge cooling technology, the containers can maintain steady temperatures for up to 202 hours (8.4 days) and self-recharge automatically in a cooling chamber or reefer truck.

The cargo carrier ensures the fastest transfer at Doha through its unique quick ramp transfer (QRT). It is the only cargo carrier in the Middle East to offer refrigerated or ‘reefer’ truck services for ramp transfers at its home hub.

Qatar Airways Cargo has invested considerably in quality handling, infrastructure, facilities, people and procedures at each of its pharma stations, which span over 77 destinations, with the recent addition of Osaka (Japan), Campinas, Brazil (VCP), Santiago, Chile (SCL) and Bogotá, Colombia.

The cargo carrier’s QR Pharma volumes have grown by 14.5 percent in 2019 over 2018. This new partnership between SkyCell and QR Pharma has set in motion a new period of growth for its clients and the future of the pharmaceutical transport industry.