SkyCell has sealed a partnership with Singapore Airlines (SIA) for the lease of SkyCell containers as demand for pharmaceutical products in Asia Pacific continues to grow.
Singapore is a leading commercial hub for the development and production of pharmaceuticals and biologics for the Asian Pacific market.
SkyCell said the rising trade flow of pharmaceuticals to and from APAC entails several challenges for pharmaceutical companies – challenging environmental conditions, increasing regulatory requirements and CO2 savings.
This the company said demands for a reliable and robust transport solution for valuable temperature-sensitive drugs and biologics.
To prevent temperature excursions, SkyCell is developing comprehensive lane standard operating procedures together with the airline. Thus, pharmaceuticals will be transported with the highest security level door-to-door and according to regulatory compliance.
“Singapore Airlines is the leading airline in Asia Pacific with a specialized pharma offering and an extensive network.
“The collaboration will meet the growing demand for reliable and safe pharmaceutical transportation solutions in the region and contribute to eliminating temperature excursions for shipments to emerging markets,” said Richard Ettl, chief executive officer of SkyCell.
Last year, SIA introduced with THRUCOOL a ‘quality corridor’ along the Zurich-Singapore-Sydney route, with strict end-to-end temperature control for the handling and transportation of temperature-sensitive goods.
By complying with standards adopted from the IATA CEIV Pharma certification programme – the quality corridor addresses the industry’s need for safety, care and efficiency in the transportation of pharmaceutical products.
This June, SIA expanded its quality network corridor to Amsterdam and Ho Chi Minh City.
SIA senior vice president for cargo, Chin Yau Seng said, “The expansion of our THRUCOOL quality corridor network and lease partnership with SkyCell demonstrate our commitment to providing quality-assured dedicated cold chain services when transporting time- and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical shipments.
“We will continue to improve our service offerings and collaborate with our industry partners to pursue innovation in the delivery of pharmaceuticals.”
