Swiss WorldCargo and Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), an air cargo handling company, have opened New York’s first GDP (Good Distribution Practice) compliant pharma facility after achieving certification of its Building 66 at JFK airport.
This initiative is aligned with WFS’ program to provide coordinated cold chain handling services which secure product integrity and ensure patient safety. The features of the program include a Pharmaceutical Handling Quality Manual and Quality Management System, dedicated cooler facilities, a Special Products Manager, and experienced and trained personnel. WFS also invested in a new cooler for the 1,000 sq ft pharma facility at JFK in support of the GDP requirements.
“This latest addition of GDP-compliant facilities allows us to offer additional quality corridors to our pharma and healthcare customers. The certification further strengthens our position as a global quality leader,” said Michael Ganz, Head of Northeast-/Midwest USA and Canada for Swiss WorldCargo. With three daily flights from Zurich and Geneva, JFK is an important North America-gateway for Swiss WorldCargo.
“We are proud to be the first airline handling facility to become GDP certified”, said Michael Simpson, WFS’ Executive Vice President Americas, who added: “We will continue to expand our network of certified facilities, adding to our current list of JFK and Miami in the Americas as well as multiple locations in Europe.”
WFS has also signed a 15-year lease on a new 346,000 sq ft cargo terminal at the airport. The facility will have a throughput capacity of over 300 m kg a year. According to the company, it will improve cargo flows, reduce transfer times, shorten truck waiting times and incorporate the latest security and screening systems and procedures. It will also have dedicated facilities for temperature-controlled pharmaceutical products and perishables cargo when it opens in 2020/21.
Source: Swiss WorldCargo
