Finnair Gets Fit to Increase Cargo Revenues From Carriage of Pharmaceuticals

Airlines compete with each other for cargo business, just as they do for passenger seat sales, and Finnair is stepping up its game by pursuing certification to carry profitable Pharmaceutical cargo.

Finnair Cargo will part in IATA’s Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Handling programme (CEIV Pharma) – a joint pilot project organised by IATA and Brussels Airport, which is Finnair Cargo’s 2nd hub. This certification programme will earn the airline IATA’s Pharma certificate in the beginning of 2015, making Finnair one of the two first airlines in the world certified for pharmaceuticals by IATA.

Pharmaceuticals (e.g. vaccines, biotech medicines) are among the most delicate products transported as air cargo, and require standardised secure transport, following strict temperature control requirements.  Because they are products essential to life and often needed with rush delivery at a premium, they can be a profitable source of income for airlines.

“The Pharma segment is one of the fastest growing segments in the air cargo industry and we are committed to be at the forefront in this fast growing air cargo segment”, says Juha Järvinen, Finnair Cargo Managing Director. Having a pharma route with the starting point (BRU), the transit point (HEL) and the airline operating the flight certified is an important topic for the pharma shippers from a risk management and lane validation point of view.  Finnair Cargo established its 2nd hub in Brussels in April 2013 and the pharma process development is a natural next step in our cooperation. Finnair Cargo is honoured to be one of the first carriers in the world to enter the IATA pharmaceutical certification process.”

Cargo carriage is an important part of Finnair’s business. As the airline explains:

Finnair is the largest Nordic cargo carrier, transporting 145,000 tonnes of freight and mail annually, with cargo logistics hubs in Helsinki and Brussels as well as an extensive GSA network in 47 countries. Specialised in air cargo traffic between Europe and Asia, Finnair Cargo connects 13 cities in Asia with more than 50 destinations in Europe and North America.

• Finnair Cargo transports over 145 million kg of freight annually
• Cargo revenue is approximately 17% of Finnair turnover on intercontinental routes
• Freighter destinations: Brussels and Hong Kong

Cool to care – Finnair Cargo’s Nordic Pharma Chain offers reliable shipping for fragile healthcare products that require temperature controlled transport.

Featured Image: Finnair Cargo Loading/Finnair