Air India's cargo team achieved a significant milestone with its inaugural airport-to-door international delivery of life-saving pharmaceuticals. This groundbreaking shipment, weighing six tonnes, originated from Delhi Airport and was destined for a warehouse in Brussels, a city not directly served by Air India's existing flight network.
The consignment, entrusted to Air India by SUN Pharma, a prominent specialty generics company, comprised temperature-sensitive drugs that required a consistent environment of 15 to 25 degrees Celsius to maintain their efficacy. These critical medications were carefully packed onto four lower-deck pallets, initiating a meticulously planned journey.
The initial leg of the delivery involved an Air India flight from Delhi to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Upon arrival in Paris, the pallets were seamlessly transferred to a specialized cool Road Feeder Service (RFS) truck. This refrigerated truck maintained the crucial temperature range as it traversed across Europe towards its final destination in Brussels. The entire transit, from Delhi to the consignee's warehouse, was completed in a remarkable 36 hours, showcasing the efficiency and precision of Air India's cargo operations.
The successful execution of this complex delivery highlights the specialized logistics and stringent precision necessary for transporting pharmaceuticals. Air India's recent acquisition of the Good Distribution Practices (GDP) certification underscores its commitment to adhering to international guidelines for the secure and safe distribution of pharmaceutical products. According to Ramesh Mamidala, Head of Cargo at Air India, the GDP certification has positioned Air India as the only Indian carrier with trained personnel capable of handling active pharmaceuticals. He further emphasized that this initial airport-to-door service represents a significant advancement in the company's strategic shift from traditional airport-to-airport services towards delivering world-class, end-to-end solutions that meet the highest standards.
This achievement underscores Air India's expanded global reach and enhanced efficiency in cargo service delivery. The airline boasts an extensive network, operating over 5,000 weekly flights to 45 cities within India and 43 destinations across 31 countries spanning five continents. This broad coverage enables Air India to provide unparalleled point-to-point connectivity from India to international destinations via ultra-long, long, medium, and short-haul routes. In the fiscal year 2024-25 alone, Air India transported over 4,000 tonnes of pharmaceutical goods worldwide. With airport-to-door deliveries becoming an integral component of its cargo business strategy, Air India anticipates further growth and the creation of new opportunities in the future. The company is well-equipped with dedicated storage and warehouse capabilities to ship temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products across the globe.
Air India offers both active and passive solutions to ensure the smooth transportation of pharma products. Active solutions use temperature-controlled containers from industry-leading partners to maintain temperatures between -20°C and +20°C. Passive solutions use cool dollies and thermal blankets to maintain ideal conditions during transport from the cargo terminal to the aircraft.
