Brussels has become the first Worldwide Flight Services' (WFS) European cargo station to achieve IATA CEIV Pharma certification.
The handler has installed two dedicated pharma cells in its main warehouse in Brussels, operating at 15-25°C and 2-8°C, and has also adopted specific handling procedures and provided training for staff working in the upgraded facility.
WFS’ pharma volumes in Brussels rose 170% in 2016 and are expected to reach a new high in 2017, having already broken the 3m kilo barrier in the first ten months of the year.
WFS regional vice president in Belgium, Marc Claesen, said: "We are proud to be the first WFS station in Europe with CEIV accreditation and to be supporting our customers and the efforts of Brussels Airport to create the world's first CEIV-certified airport community."
WFS is meanwhile in the process of certification for either Good Distribution Practice (GDP) or IATA CEIV Pharma at major locations across its network, which also includes building new facilities at stations including Paris, Milan and Copenhagen.
WFS executive vice-president cargo Europe Middle East Africa and Asia, John Batten, added: "We are continuing to listen to the needs of our airline customers and to support them with new and enhanced facilities where we see opportunities that offer growth potential for them and for WFS.
"Delivering further improvements to our pharma handling services at major stations is one of our key areas of focus and this will continue in 2018 with investments and GDP or CEIV certifications at more of our locations with high pharma volumes."
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