Nippon Express opens new facility at Kansai International Airport

Nippon Express

Nippon Express has established a new temperature-controlled facility at Kansai Airport, Japan, enabling strict temperature control of international cargo. The facility, named NEX-PHARMA Logistics Hub Kansai Airport, was opened in July 2021.

The facility will have constant-temperature areas for pharmaceutical products, offering storage in the 15°C to 25°C (constant-temperature) and 2°C to 8°C (refrigerated) ranges. There are also areas for storing general goods at 5°C (refrigerated storage) and -20°C (frozen storage). A continuous temperature monitoring system issues warnings of any deviations from set temperature conditions to recognise potential problems. An emergency backup power supply is in the process of being installed, with operation set to start in August 2021 and the facility is both dust and insect-proof, with anti-static interior walls. The hub has a floor area of 569 sq m and has ISO9001, TAPA Class A and AEO Bonded Warehouse certifications.

Strict compliance with quality standards such as Good Distribution Practice (GDP) has been required for pharmaceutical products worldwide in recent years, and customers have been demanding ever-higher levels of quality for temperature control during transport and storage.

The facility will focus on handling cargo for the pharmaceutical industry, aiming all the while to comply with the Japanese version of GDP guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in December 2018. Nippon Express has also joined the KIX Pharma Community sponsored by Kansai Airports to obtain the “The Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics” pharmaceutical transport quality certification advocated by the International Air Transport Association. Upon obtaining this certification, Nippon Express will become the first air cargo forwarder in Japan to operate in-house a GDP-certified facility on airport premises, enabling it to provide safe and high-quality temperature-controlled transport services at Kansai International Airport.

Source: Nippon Express