Rome Fiumicino Airport has become the first airport in Italy to earn IATA CEIV Pharma certification through a community approach with supply chain partners.

The certificate was introduced to prevent temperature variations of pharmaceutical products during air transport for patient safety and to reduce losses caused by logistics issues.

Certification ensures that the airport community meets the highest global standard for transporting pharmaceuticals by air, complying with national and international regulations.

Cargo at Fiumicino grew 11% in 2018 reaching 200,000 tonnes, with a significant portion including pharmaceuticals travelling primarily to and from North America but also the Far East and South America.

Fausto Palombelli, chief commercial officer of Fiumicino’s operator, Aeroporti di Roma says: “This certification is a testament to the commitment and the proactive role of Aeroporti di Roma in the economic development of the supply chain.”

Sergio Fernandez, regional director Europe, airport, passenger, cargo and security says: “Having Rome Fiumicino Airport, one of the region’s major pharma hubs, achieve CEIV Pharma Certification is a significant boost for meeting shippers’ expectations in terms of standardisation and transparency across the supply chain in the region. We congratulate Fiumicino on their achievement.”