Etihad Cargo Lifeline to global health amid the pandemic

The airline’s bespoke solution in handling pharmaceuticals, Pharmalife, contributed to 45% year-on-year rise on cargo volumes it hauled and 85% increase on its pharma revenues in 2021.

Manufacturing pharmaceutical products and transporting them have always been a noble and big business but it became even bigger when the pandemic struck.

Countless tons of vital medical supplies like masks, gloves, sanitizers, personal protective equipment, among others, are needed on a daily basis for healthcare and frontline workers and the public. There’s also the need to distribute billions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines to nearly 8 billion people across the planet in need of protection against the virus.

The vaccine distribution is a monumental task for the air cargo industry which described it as the “mission of the century.” But more than two years on since the pandemic began, only a small fraction of the world got access to COVID-19 vaccines, mostly affluent countries that can afford to buy and ship them immediately.

COVAX, the global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines directed by the GAVI vaccine alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and the World Health Organization, alongside key delivery partner UNICEF, said over 1 billion COVID-19 vaccines have been shipped to 144 countries.

But global leaders have called for urgent additional funding of at least $5.2 billion to establish a Pandemic Vaccine Pool of at least 600 million additional doses to address uncertainties and risks in the virus’ evolution.

They are convinced that the best way to protect and build on the progress made so far is to help as many people as possible around the world receive their primary vaccination while ensuring an ability to act quickly in response to any future developments of the pandemic. This would be critical not only to protect the health and economies of lower income countries, but also to protect the entire world against continuing waves of virus variants.

The global vaccines market size in 2019 was estimated to be valued at $46.88 billion. By 2027, it would reach $104.87 billion at 10.7% growth during the forecast period.

 The global pharmaceuticals market size, meanwhile, is expected to gain momentum by reaching $2,151.1 billion by 2027 while exhibiting a CAGR of 7.0% between 2020 and 2027. This was largely attributed to growth on chronic diseases worldwide and the lingering pandemic that requires continued distribution of medicines and vaccines, according to Fortune Business Insights.

Pharmalife

Etihad Cargo, the national airfreight carrier of the United Arab Emirates, is among those on the frontline to help address the world’s increasing need for the safe distribution of COVID-19 vaccines as well as pharmaceuticals and other life-science products.

A proud member of Hope Consortium, the Abu Dhabi-led public and private initiative on a mission to safely deliver large quantities of COVID-19 vaccines globally, Etihad Cargo takes pride on its bespoke solution in handling pharmaceutical products, which include vaccines.

The company said PharmaLife uses specially designed, temperature-controlled equipment and specific processes to ship pharmaceuticals around the world in the quickest and safest way possible.

It is hallmarked by Active and Hybrid full-portfolio containers with PharmaLife Active solutions in the case of premium and highly sensitive products. PharmaLife Passive Solutions, with three specific temperature ranges, namely +2° to + 8°, +15° to + 25°, and +2° to +25°, ensuring the right process and storage conditions.

Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Sales & Cargo, Etihad Aviation Group, explains to Air Cargo Update how Pharmalife transports sensitive temperature-controlled pharmaceuticals in quickest way possible.

“Pharmaceutical shipment handling and loading are always prioritized, with an average of just 60 minutes between aircraft and cooling facility. All shipments pass through the Etihad Cargo hub in Abu Dhabi and connect to more than 70 global destinations,” Drew said in an email interview.

“Each shipment journey is also managed and monitored by a dedicated team of experts. From the Cargo Control Center in Abu Dhabi to the on-ground specialists, by using real-time data from temperature-controlled storage and cargo hold temperature devices located in the aircraft, the team is entrusted and able to deliver end-to-end product integrity,” he added.

Etihad Cargo adheres to the highest compliance guidelines and was the first carrier in the Middle East to gain IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) certification for pharmaceutical logistics.

Currently operating across more than 1,100 IATA CEIV Pharma/GDP certified trade lanes, the carrier’s expertise in this sector – augmented courtesy of PharmaLife – has resulted in a 45 percent year-on-year rise in volume and an 85 percent increase in revenue of pharma shipments in 2021, according to Drew.

The vaccine carrier

Through PharmaLife, Etihad Cargo handles all temperature-control requirements from -80°C through to +25°C.

Vaccines are typically transported at between +2°C to +8°C, however, to respond to customer requirements, Etihad Cargo said it expanded its Boeing Dreamliner and Boeing 777 fleet dry ice carrying capabilities as the Pfizer, Moderna and Sputnik COVID-19 vaccines all need to be maintained between -70°C and -18°C.

At the beginning of this year, Etihad Cargo moved more than 2 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to Cambodia on behalf of UNICEF, the world’s largest vaccine supplier. It also made a record shipment of 109 tons of fashion and electronics from Vietnam and shipped 39 horses from Chicago to Riyadh. Its product verticals are diverse: from pharma to fresh food, flowers and everything in between.

“Naturally, shipping pharmaceuticals is complex and subject to myriad technical factors. Each manufacturer issues specific temperature-control requirements that must be applied to individual pharmaceutical products and adhered to throughout the journey to maintain product integrity. For example, some vaccines require -80°C, so last year Etihad Cargo secured UAE GCAA approval to expand its dry ice carrying capabilities across its Boeing Dreamliner and Boeing 777 fleet. The carrier can now carry up to five times more dry ice per flight, enabling it to provide customers with enhanced frozen and deep-frozen conditions, a necessity for some types of vaccine,” said Drew.

“In addition to its certification, Etihad Cargo actively participates in associations such as Pharma.aero, the Cool Chain Association, and IATA. Through that involvement, the carrier is working closely with all stakeholders to share experience and explore innovations as a collective, further elevating the whole industry’s capabilities.”

Tailored solutions

Etihad Cargo provides tailored solutions to handle all temperature-control requirements from -80°C through to +25°C. It has also worked with a number of ULD and specialized pharma container manufacturers to develop options that maintain temperature parameters.

Envirotainer, Csafe Global, Dokaschand, Skycell and Va-Q-Tecto all offer premium leasing options for pharmaceutical and life science shipments. The carrier’s active and hybrid solutions mean shipments are always stored and transported safely and securely at the correct and steady temperature, while providing both the carrier and the customer real-time monitoring and tracking.

“To ensure passive cargo maintains the correct temperature, a pre-cooled thermal blanket is applied before loading and offloading. This blanket stabilizes the environment of the shipment shielding it from extreme weather conditions and protecting the product integrity,” Drew explained.

“Etihad Cargo has partnered directly with the architects of the ULDs who came up with an innovative deep-frozen solution to house drugs at -70°C and it advises on the types of coolant used in the containers of each aircraft type. This enables the carrier to better anticipate and prepare to implement the specific types of packaging within their supply chain, thus minimizing risk.

“Through the partnership with Envirotainer, for instance, Etihad Cargo can closely monitor pharma shipments and provide its customers real-time data, including temperature and locations. It also operates a state-of-the-art, dedicated Cargo Control Center 24/7. This center is the digital heartbeat of the carrier’s cargo operation, tracking, monitoring, and controlling all shipments to minimize any potential delays, while simultaneously addressing and resolving issues in real-time to reduce any cold-chain disruption and ensure product integrity.”

Global partner and enabler

Etihad’s Cargo Control Center uses digital technology and data-driven insights to effectively monitor all these things as well as controlling all shipments from start to finish.

The cargo airline said it has always been committed to the transportation of pharmaceuticals, but the pandemic has emphasized the need for its ability to effectively and securely ship vaccines, essential medicines, medical devices and other critical supplies that have enabled the roll-out of vaccine programs across the globe.

In March 2020, Etihad Cargo launched its passenger freighter operations to provide additional capacity to transport essential medical cargo. It has also set-up a COVID-19 workforce that worked with partners on prioritizing key shipments and embarked on an aggressive program with the UAE government for food security and aid distribution. November 2020 witnessed the establishment of the Abu Dhabi Hope Consortium which was committed to the distribution of the COVID 19 vaccines around the world.

In addition, in February 2021, the carrier joined the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to support its Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative, distributing humanitarian supplies to children in underdeveloped countries.

“For shipments transported through the Hope Consortium, Etihad Cargo partner Maqta Gateway – Abu Dhabi Ports’ digital technologies subsidiary – has developed mUnity, which is a proprietary custom-built digital system that employs blockchain technology to track and trace COVID-19 vaccine sourcing, storage, shipment, and all related data in real-time. The system features robust end-to-end visibility of every vaccine, starting from the manufacturing facility right up to when it arrives at vaccination centers both in the UAE and abroad. Based on the availability of data, the system has the capability to track individual vaccine doses up until the time of the administration of the actual dose,” Drew shared.

“Etihad Cargo also uses a combination of smart ULDs for passive shipments, including Envirotainer RLP track and trace, which provides temperature-controlled air cargo containers with up to 170 hours of autonomy maintaining the temperature and protecting the cargo, as well as CSafe Global, which offers live monitoring and shipment visibility insights.

“Lastly, Etihad Cargo customers are able to monitor their shipments on the carrier’s CIQ system; a monitoring tool that enables them to track the journey in real time, providing full transparency and an enhanced experience.”

Etihad Cargo has also played a critical role in the global humanitarian aid program, transporting more than 400 tons of aid to more than 40 countries around the world.

“The carrier took a proactive approach to the anticipated challenges that came with COVID-19. From the outset of the pandemic, demand for premium pharmaceutical solutions increased, Etihad Cargo focused on its partners and enhanced its product specifications. It also established a COVID-19 Workforce and Steering Committee to drive the pandemic response and to continue to support the shipment of vaccines around the world,” said Drew.