DB Schenker Korea awarded IATA CEIV pharma certification

July 5, 2019: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has awarded Schenker Korea with the IATA CEIV pharma certification for pharmaceutical handling excellence in air freight.

The award ceremony, organised by IATA Korea, took place on June 3 at the IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Seoul. The certificate was presented by Alexandre de Juniac, director general and CEO of IATA, to Schenker Korea CEO Dirk Lukat. The certification recognises the company's commitment to ensuring product integrity and the safety of healthcare products via air freight.

The Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics, or CEIV Pharma, is an IATA programme designed to address the pharmaceutical industry’s need for increased safety, security, compliance and efficiency, through the creation of a globally consistent pharmaceutical product-handling certification.

Hanmin Kim, head of air freight Schenker Korea, commented that the certification is an official recognition of Schenker Korea’s pharmaceutical transportation and operational capabilities.

In January 2018, the Incheon Airport CEIV Pharma Committee was formed through the initiative of Schenker Korea by the Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), with the objective of verifying end-to-end logistics processes, from the point of arrival of goods, up until the final delivery. This partnership required a strong collaboration between IIAC, Korean Airlines, Asiana Airlines, and DB Schenker.

In July 2018, IATA conducted a two-week CEIV Pharma training with more than 30 representatives from the 4 participating organisations. The training was followed by a preliminary assessment in August 2018 held by IATA validators. From there, further preparation and validation ensued until the successful audit in May 2019.