Qatar Airways Cargo signs up with SkyCell for hybrid pharma containers

September 29, 2020: Qatar Airways Cargo has signed an agreement to lease temperature-controlled hybrid containers from SkyCell that will also help the airline to support global vaccination logistic plans, once the Covid-19 vaccine is ready.

SkyCell
SkyCell’s hybrid containers are IoT (‘Internet of Things’) enabled, meaning that their temperature conditions are monitored as they move around the globe to ensure temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals are protected even under extreme conditions. With insulation and cooling technology, the containers can maintain steady temperatures for up to 202 hours (8.4 days) and self-recharge automatically in a cooling chamber or reefer truck.

QR Pharma
QR Pharma is Qatar Airways Cargo’s specialist product developed for pharmaceuticals and healthcare cargo. It offers both active solutions to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the transportation chain as well as passive solutions that handle products within a desired temperature band during all stages of the journey.

The cargo carrier’s QR Pharma volumes have grown by 14.5 percent in 2019 over 2018.

“Qatar Airways Cargo has invested considerably in quality handling, infrastructure, facilities, people and procedures at each of its pharma stations, which span over 77 destinations, with the recent addition of Osaka (Japan), Campinas, Brazil (VCP), Santiago, Chile (SCL) and Bogotá, Colombia. As an industry leader, the cargo carrier ensures the fastest transfer at Doha through its unique Quick Ramp Transfer (QRT). It is the only cargo carrier in the Middle East to offer refrigerated or ‘reefer’ truck services for ramp transfers at its home hub,” said the release.

Guillaume Halleux, chief officer cargo, Qatar Airways, said “The logistics around pharmaceutical transportation is complex and being at the forefront of time and temperature-sensitive transportation, we understand the intricacies of a seamless cool chain. Through this agreement with SkyCell, we are glad to expand our container offering under QR Pharma and present customers with more options to transport their sensitive products. The hybrid container establishes an entirely new product offering for our clients that is both safe and sustainable for our businesses and the planet.”

Chiara Venuti, director business development and airline partnerships, SkyCell, said, “Qatar Airways Cargo is a leading air cargo carrier with a specialised pharmaceutical offering and an extensive network. The cooperation will meet the growing demand for hybrid containers as safe and sustainable pharma solutions for sensitive and critical drugs such as vaccines.”

All SkyCell containers are 100% recyclable, helping to eliminate landfill by preventing product waste and reduce a shipment’s carbon footprint by up to 50% due to their capability to charge independently of an external power supply, without the requirement of dry ice and manual intervention.