Ethiopian Airlines announced that it has received IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) certification as an airline and ground handler in December 2021. The airline has recently been investing in infrastructure, equipment, people, system and processes to enhance its pharmaceutical core handling capabilities throughout its pharmaceutical network, which includes: Brussels, Shanghai, Johannesburg, Paris, Seoul, Lagos, Lusaka, Beijing, Hong Kong, Maastricht, Chicago & Addis Ababa.

The announcement, which came on December 24, 2021, also revealed that the airline’s cold storage areas in these freight facilities are dedicated for the handling of pharmaceuticals & healthcare products and armed with a dedicated climate control ranging between -30 to 25 degrees Celsius.

The strategic and geographical location Addis Ababa, the home base of Ethiopian Airlines, makes it highly preferable for the transportation of highly temperature-sensitive products with year-round natural temperature stability.

“We are delighted to receive this important global certification, IATA CEIV Pharma Certificate, which is a strong assurance of one of the highest global standards in the aviation and logistics industries. With an annual capacity of more than a million tons, our global air cargo and logistics hub in Addis Ababa has various special cargo handling facilities like Pharma and Life Science, Live Animals, Perishable cargo, live seafood, dangerous goods etc,” Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam said in a press statement.

“Accordingly, we have been working very hard on our Pharma and Life Science handling facility to meet global standards in technology, processes and trainings. The IATA CEIV Pharma Certification has come at an opportune time for Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics team as they continue to play a key global role in the transportation of life saving COVID-19 vaccines around the world and particularly in the continent of Africa.”