MOSCOW CARGO, LLC COMPLETED THE FIRST STAGE OF IATA CEIV PHARMA CERTIFICATION

30/12/2021

Moscow Cargo LLC, the main GHA of Sheremetyevo International Airport, successfully completed the first stage of IATA CEIV Pharma certification. The IATA CEIV Pharma certification of the Moscow Cargo terminal scheduled for 2022 is going to be another step towards the facilitation of Sheremetyevo’s position in the international air cargo market, meeting the growing demand for pharmaceutical products and providing favorable conditions for the long-term development of the industry throughout the country.

The growth in the volume of medical cargo, primarily COVID-19 vaccines, associated with the impact of the pandemic, has largely imposed cargo operators to comply with uniform rules for handling temperature-sensitive cargo. This year alone, more than 1.5 thousand tonnes of Sputnik V vaccines were shipped through the Moscow Cargo terminal across Russia and abroad. According to the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund, Russia is among the top 5 global manufacturers and exporters of coronavirus vaccines.

The IATA CEIV Pharma certificate, developed by the International Air Transport Association together with leading pharmaceutical organizations, is an international standard in the field of unification of requirements for the transportation of pharmaceutical shipments that require strict temperature conditions.

Moscow Cargo, LLC completed the first stage of IATA CEIV Pharma certification in November 2021. According to the results of the pre-audit, the highest quality standards of the terminal's technical equipment and production facilities, all the necessary documentation for pharmaceutical cargo and the effective organizational support were noted. Also, in order to pass the second stage of the audit, scheduled for September 2022, recommendations were made regarding the operation of storage areas for temperature-sensitive cargo. Particular attention was paid by the members of the commission to the quality management system at the terminal, including the process of risk assessment and the need to introduce new specialized personnel training programmes. These recommendations will serve as the basis for further corrective actions.

IATA CEIV Pharma certificate confirms that the company has and strictly complies with the standards for handling and storage of pharmaceutical cargo in full compliance with IATA requirements in terms of infrastructure and equipment conditions, ensuring proper technological processes, maintaining documentation, training personnel and organizing the quality control system.

IATA CEIV Pharma certification includes several stages: first, the company undergoes a pre-audit, during which the current state of production processes, the quality of training programmes for personnel and general compliance with the pharmaceutical cargo handling regulations are assessed. All identified irregularities must be eliminated before the start of the next stage - validation (audit), after which a certificate of compliance with IATA standards is issued.

AirBridgeCargo was the first company in Russia that received this certificate in 2016, laying the foundation for the development of the global hub for handling medical cargo at Sheremetyevo Airport.