Qatar Airways Cargo Enhances Pharma Service with Opticooler Containers

DoKaSch Temperature Solutions has signed a deal to make its Opticooler range of temperature-controlled containers available to customers of Qatar Airways Cargo.

The Active Cool Containers RAP and RKN Opticooler are equipped with electric, battery-powered cooling compressors and heaters and require no dry ice making them ideal for pharmaceuticals. The containers keep the cargo within a temperature range of 2 to 8 degrees celsius or 15 to 25 degrees celsius and are operated via a touchscreen interface.

Qatar Airways’ Chief Officer Cargo, Mr. Ulrich Ogiermann, said, “We understand the intricacies of a seamless cool chain and always aim to provide value to our customers. Through this agreement with DoKaSch, we have now expanded our active container offering for customers, presenting our business partners with more options to transport their pharmaceuticals globally.”

Qatar Airways Cargo recently opened a brand new Climate Control Centre, a 2,470 square metre airside transit facility for temperature-sensitive cargo. The facility features two temperature-controlled zones operating at both 2 to 8 and 15 to 25 degrees celsius with a capacity to hold a total of 156 ULDs (unit load devices) at a time.

Segregated sections within the facility enable storage of pharmaceutical products in compliance with ‘Good Distribution Practice’ (GDP) guidelines. To ensure complete temperature integrity, the facility is equipped with six truck docks, each with inflated curtains and an anteroom as a staging area.

Andreas Seitz, Managing Director of DoKaSch Temperature Solutions, said, “We are very pleased to make our Opticooler containers available through one of the world’s largest international cargo carriers. We are convinced that with Qatar Airways Cargo’s extensive and rapidly-growing network, and our joint commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, this partnership will provide a great solution for the global Pharma cool chain.”

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.

Qatar Airways Cargo’s expanding Pharma network spans 73 stations, with the recent addition of Colombo on 15 May and Dublin on 12 June.

The cargo carrier’s QR Pharma volumes have grown by 42% in 2016-17 over 2015-16.

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