IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG) and Iberia today celebrate the two-year anniversary of its pharmaceutical centre in Madrid, which is dedicated to its Constant Climate product for transporting temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products - as the centre welcomed its 30th COVID-19 vaccine shipment.
Since opening in 2019, the pharmaceutical centre in Madrid has processed over 10 million kilos of pharmaceutical cargo, including life-saving medicines, vaccines to support global immunisation programmes for diseases such as polio, diphtheria, measles and more recently the COVID-19 vaccines. The most prominent markets and routes which the Centre serves are Latin America, the US and Europe, mostly operated by Iberia
Madrid is a key global hub and most recently the Centre has played a vital part during the pandemic - IAG Cargo has worked with its partner airline Iberia to transport COVID-19 vaccines from its Madrid hub to the Canary and Balearic Islands, Dominican Republic and El Salvador.
With two dedicated temperature-controlled chambers totalling nearly 1000m2, the Madrid centre joins London Heathrow and Dublin as one of three IAG Cargo Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certified facilities. The hubs connect to a network of 100 specialist stations worldwide and are staffed by IAG Cargo and Iberia teams specially trained in handling sensitive pharmaceutical goods, and benefits from a specialist fleet of refrigerated trucks.
Fernando Terol Armas, Director of Spanish Hub and Operations at IAG Cargo, commented: “The opening of our pharmaceutical centre in Madrid was a landmark moment for IAG Cargo - supporting our world-leading Constant Climate product. The decision to invest in this state-of-the-art facility reflects our long-term commitment to drive quality across our network, whilst increasing capacity for our customers who rely on us to transport pharmaceuticals and life-saving medicines across the world every day.
“Our Madrid pharmaceutical facility is the largest in Southern Europe with its strategic location it’ll continue to play a key part in the global roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines alongside our two other GDP certified hubs in Dublin and London Heathrow.”
Mª Jesús López Solás, Commercial Director of Iberia, commented: “In the past two years Iberia and IAG Cargo have achieved much together, delivering life-saving vaccines and medicines via IAG Cargo’s specialist pharmaceutical centre in Madrid. Iberia provides a network of flights, connecting Southern Europe with the rest of the world, whilst IAG Cargo provides the cargo expertise to ensure these delicate temperature-sensitive products are expertly handled.”
In the past 12 months, IAG Cargo and Iberia have played an important role in supporting the fight against COVID-19, transporting thousands of tonnes of PPE, medical equipment, testing kits and medicines working in collaboration with its sister airlines.
