Turkish Cargo has boosted its cool chain capabilities in terms of logistics for pharmaceuticals and medical products with the launch of three new pharma products – TK Pharma Standard, TK Pharma Extra and TK Pharma Advanced, in addition to the cargo handling facilities and expert services offered by the carrier at its SMARTIST mega cargo facility in Istanbul Airport.
Raising the bar for quality, the three new pharma products are designed to meet the expectations of the customers at the highest level by offering flexible solutions for the pharmaceutical and medical consignments in various categories.
“We, as Turkish Cargo, are making innovative investments for the purpose of not only solidifying such trust but also adapting to the dynamics of the ever-growing healthcare industry. With the new offers, Turkish Cargo is committed to providing its business partners with more assurance, transparency, and better visibility for an enhanced quality and widened range of services,” said Ali Türk, Chief Cargo Officer of Turkish Airlines.
“We are proud to be a trusted solution partner, which has helped us achieve a market share of 7 per cent in the global air transportation of pharmaceuticals and medical products.”
Industry-standard temperature-controlled solutions
TK Pharma Standard will enable temperature-sensitive cargo to be shipped in compliance with the industry requirements. Shipments will benefit from expert handling, high priority loading, dedicated temperature-controlled storage, powered by a trained dedicated operations team and 24/7 customer services, available throughout the entire TK Pharma Network under the assurance of Turkish Cargo.
Enhanced temperature-controlled solutions
TK Pharma Extra is customised for pharmaceuticals and medical products with a higher sensitivity to temperature and time, shipped by making use of passive packaging methods with extra protection during apron transportation, such as temperature-controlled dollies for apron transport with constant monitoring from the point of departure to the destination via the 24/7 Pharma Control Tower. TK Pharma Extra will be available only at “TK Pharma High-Quality Stations” that have been audited and approved by the TK Cargo Pharma quality team.
Active and hybrid temperature-controlled solutions
TK Pharma Advanced is designed to provide the opportunity for near-zero risk against temperature deviation by making use of active temperature-controlled or hybrid/advanced passive containers. The shipment or product can be carried at a fixed temperature ranging between -70°C / +30°C, as per the requests of customers. The team, established dedicatedly for TK Pharma Advanced, will manage the transportation processes and provide the customers with consultancy services in terms of container leasing.
With dedicated storage facilities spanning four different temperature ranges at the SMARTIST Temperature Controlled Centre (TCC) located at its Istanbul Airport hub, Turkish Cargo provides the opportunity to maintain pharmaceuticals and medical products at optimal conditions. Holding an IATA CEIV Pharma certificate and offering service at the GDP standards, the carrier transports all pharmaceuticals and medical consignments in compliance with the industry requirements. Turkish Cargo also provides temperature-controlled build-up and break-down and automated ULD storage for pharmaceutical and healthcare shipments in TCC. Temperature-controlled dollies are being used for protecting the pharmaceuticals and medical products against the ambient conditions during the course of performance of the apron handling process between the TCC and the aircraft. Meanwhile, the deployment of smart technologies such as Automatic Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) bolsters speed and quality in Turkish Cargo’s operations.