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Finnair Cargo has pharma focus, deploys shortest routes to Asia
FINNAIR Cargo has become the first airline to complete a certification programme for handling cold-chain pharmaceuticals organised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in collaboration with Brussels Airport, reports the Helsinki Times.
Finnair Cargo is the largest air cargo carrier in the Nordics, transporting 149,000 tonnes of mail and freight a year, said the report.
Participation in the certification programme is part of the strategic shift of Finnair Cargo towards the transport of more fragile products.
"We want to lead the way in transporting pharmaceutical products. We're very proud to become the world's first airline to earn the IATA Pharma certificate," said company director Antti Kuusenmaki.
Pharmaceutical products, such as vaccines, pills and medications transported in liquefied form, are among the most delicate products transported as air cargo, said the report.
"We transport medications that are very vulnerable to contamination. For example, life-saving vaccines must be stored in a temperature of two to eight degrees throughout the entire transport chain or else they'll become useless," Mr Kuusenmaki said.
The new cargo terminal that is scheduled to open in the first half of 2017 will have separate temperature-controlled handling areas for pharmaceutical products and easily contaminated foodstuffs.
Finnair has revised its strategy in the course of the spring in an attempt to strengthen its position in the highly contested air cargo sector.
Mr Kuusenmaki is confident that the decision to concentrate on special cargo will allow the airline to keep step with development in the sector.
The air cargo sector, however, is susceptible to considerable fluctuations. "We're a relatively small player globally,?he said. "We simply have to take advantage of our strengths, such as having the shortest flight times to Asia."
Finnair has also placed an order for 19 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft which will double its cargo capacity by the year 2020.
Finnair Cargo is the largest air cargo carrier in the Nordics, transporting 149,000 tonnes of mail and freight a year, said the report.
Participation in the certification programme is part of the strategic shift of Finnair Cargo towards the transport of more fragile products.
"We want to lead the way in transporting pharmaceutical products. We're very proud to become the world's first airline to earn the IATA Pharma certificate," said company director Antti Kuusenmaki.
Pharmaceutical products, such as vaccines, pills and medications transported in liquefied form, are among the most delicate products transported as air cargo, said the report.
"We transport medications that are very vulnerable to contamination. For example, life-saving vaccines must be stored in a temperature of two to eight degrees throughout the entire transport chain or else they'll become useless," Mr Kuusenmaki said.
The new cargo terminal that is scheduled to open in the first half of 2017 will have separate temperature-controlled handling areas for pharmaceutical products and easily contaminated foodstuffs.
Finnair has revised its strategy in the course of the spring in an attempt to strengthen its position in the highly contested air cargo sector.
Mr Kuusenmaki is confident that the decision to concentrate on special cargo will allow the airline to keep step with development in the sector.
The air cargo sector, however, is susceptible to considerable fluctuations. "We're a relatively small player globally,?he said. "We simply have to take advantage of our strengths, such as having the shortest flight times to Asia."
Finnair has also placed an order for 19 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft which will double its cargo capacity by the year 2020.
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