Kenya Airways, the flag carrier airline of Kenya, recently received the IATA Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Pharma certification. This certification is a significant milestone for the airline and the Kenyan pharmaceutical industry as it demonstrates its commitment to ensuring the safe and secure transportation of pharmaceutical products. This move potentially impacts earlier news from the airline. Kenya Airways supports domestic pharmaceutical industry.
What is IATA’s CEIV Pharma Certification?
IATA’s CEIV Pharma certification is a globally recognized standard for transporting pharmaceutical products. It is a quality assurance program that ensures that all parties involved in transporting pharmaceutical products, including airlines, ground handlers, and freight forwarders, comply with the highest standards of handling, storage, and transportation of these products. The certification process involves a rigorous assessment of the airline’s facilities, equipment, processes, and staff training. The certification is valid for three years and requires the airline to undergo regular audits to maintain the certification.
Why is the CEIV Pharma Certification Important for the Kenyan Pharmaceutical Industry?
The CEIV Pharma certification is essential for the Kenyan pharmaceutical industry as it enables the industry to export its products to international markets with confidence. The certification ensures that the pharmaceutical products are transported under the highest standards of quality and safety, which is critical for the integrity of the products.
Kenya is a significant producer of African pharmaceutical products, with a growing domestic market and increasing exports to international markets. The CEIV Pharma certification of Kenya Airways will enable the industry to expand its exports to new markets and increase its competitiveness in the global market.
How Kenya Airways’ CEIV Certification Supports the Pharmaceutical Industry
The CEIV Pharma certification for Kenya Airways will benefit the Kenyan pharmaceutical industry in several ways:
- Improved Quality and Safety: The certification ensures that pharmaceutical products are transported under the highest standards of quality and safety, which is critical for the integrity of the products.
- Increased Market Access: The certification enables the industry to export its products to international markets confidently, increasing its market access and competitiveness.
- Reduced Costs: The certification will reduce transportation costs for the industry as it will enable the industry to transport its products more efficiently and effectively.
- Enhanced Reputation: The certification will enhance the reputation of the Kenyan pharmaceutical industry as a reliable and trustworthy supplier of high-quality pharmaceutical products.
KQ Cargo’s Pharma Facility received IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Pharma Certification on May 4, attesting to the carriers’ ability to consistently handle high-value, time-sensitive, and temperature-controlled transportation of pharmaceuticals within standard margins for speed and safety.
Quoting figures from the East African Community Regional Pharmaceutical Plan of Action 2017–2027, Kipchumba Murkomen, Kenya’s minister for Roads and Transport, revealed that Kenyan manufacturers currently account for 30 percent of the $73 million annual domestic market for pharmaceuticals. On the other hand, exports to the African market stand at $ 46.8 million, equivalent to 0.04 percent of the potential market in Africa.
“In view of the foregoing, it is evident that the certification of Kenya Airways Cargo will unlock huge potential in the market and provide a mechanism for tapping into this potential. It is our belief that with the right support, these exports will drive the growth of Kenya’s pharmaceutical industry and place the country at the apex of pharmaceutical export,” Murkomen said.
IATA created the CEIV Pharma program to help the global air freight supply chain by providing universal criteria based on current regulations and standards. The certification assures that a certified carrier’s pharmaceutical product shipment complies with IATA Temperature Control Regulations, international standards, and best practices in cold chain and pharmaceutical movements.
Kenya Airways group chief executive Allan Kilavuka said the certification would give customers, freight forwarders, and supply chain partners greater confidence in the carrier’s Pharma capability. “We will continue to improve our premium product verticals, offering long-standing standards of temperature-controlled and time-sensitive cargo transport. With this certification, we join a select group of international operators in reaffirming our diligence in transporting temperature-controlled and time-sensitive products via our pharma network,” Kilavuka added.
Covering 600sqm, the facility is segregated into three temperature zones with a dedicated 40 euro-pallets on the ground and an additional 2-level racking room for loose cargo storage at +15 to +25°C, a separate cold room for loose cargo storage at +2 to +8°C with a capacity to store 22 euro-pallets on the ground, with additional racking also available and, a nine euro-pallets freezing room for loose cargo storage at -20°C.
Conclusion
The CEIV Pharma certification of Kenya Airways is a significant milestone for the airline and the Kenyan pharmaceutical industry. The certification demonstrates the airline’s commitment to ensuring safe and secure transportation for pharmaceutical products. It enables the industry to expand its exports to new markets and increase its competitiveness in the global market. The certification will benefit the industry by improving the quality and safety of its products, increasing its market access, reducing costs, and enhancing its reputation as a reliable and trustworthy supplier of high-quality pharmaceutical products.
