Air India’s cargo division has carried out its first-ever airport-to-door international delivery of a critical pharma shipment.
The temperature-sensitive pharma shipment weighing six tonnes was flown from Delhi (DEL) to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) before being trucked to a warehouse in Brussels, in less than 36 hours.
Booked by SUN Pharma, the shipment of medication was packed into four lower-deck pallets on the Air India flight to CDG and required a steady 15 to 25 degrees Celsius to retain its effectiveness.
Brussels is not in Air India’s network, but the airline teamed up with a company in Europe to ensure that once the flight landed in Paris, the pallets were transferred to a temperature-contrlled Road Feeder Service (RFS) truck service to Brussels.
Exactly 36 hours after leaving Delhi, the medication arrived at the consignee’s warehouse, confirmed Air India.
In April, Air India achieved Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification for handling, storing and transporting time and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical shipments.
“With the GDP certification, we have now become India’s only carrier with trained staff to manage active pharmaceuticals,” said Ramesh Mamidala, head of cargo, Air India.
He added: “These first shipments of our new airport-to-door service is a step forward in progressively pivoting our cargo offering from ‘airport-to-airport’ to world-class ‘airport-to-door’ services, delivered to the highest standards. It’s not just about getting it there, it’s about getting it there right – with precision.”
In 2024-25, Air India moved over 4,000 tonnes of pharma goods globally. Going forward, the airline said airport-to-door deliveries will be a key part of its cargo business.
Rebecca JeffreyRebecca joined Air Cargo News in 2021 as deputy editor. She previously worked as a reporter for a group of maritime magazines, heading up news for Port Strategy. Prior to this, she was editor for the former Recruitment International. Contact Rebecca at: r.jeffrey@aircargonews.netView full profile
