Vienna Airport and Lufthansa Cargo are now also working together in the field of pharmaceutical transport. As a result, all medical shipments on board Austrian Airlines to or from Vienna Airport will be handled via the Vienna Airport Pharma Handling Center.

With the VPHC, Vienna Airport operates its own GDP-certified competence center for handling temperature-sensitive air freight without interrupting the cold chain. With Lufthansa Cargo's intercontinental network, the VPHC will further strengthen Vienna Airport's role as a pharmaceutical hub for Central and Eastern Europe. Freight volumes have increased significantly here in recent years.

As the sister company responsible for freight within the Lufthansa Group, Lufthansa Cargo is also responsible for the cargo business of Austrian Airlines. On board its passenger aircraft, the Austrian flag carrier also distributes cargo in an extensive intercontinental network as additional cargo, including pharmaceuticals, vaccines and other temperature-sensitive goods.

This cooperation further establishes Vienna Airport as a strong pharmaceutical hub for Central and Eastern Europe. Austria's most important commercial airport has significantly increased its tonnage in this area. The airport's own pharmaceuticals handling center handled around 2021 percent more goods in 15 than in 2020. Compared to the pre-crisis year 2019, growth is more than 66 percent. In addition to the continuing imponderables of ground-based global supply chains, the internationalization of pharmaceutical production is also driving this trend.

With the linking of the intercontinental air freight capacities of Austrian Airlines to the performance of the Vienna Airport Pharma Handling Center, Vienna Airport is prepared for further growth in this area. State-of-the-art facilities for handling and storing temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals and GDP certification ensure optimal processes at the VPHC, handled by a separate pharmaceutical team and monitored by comprehensive temperature control systems.

Two large cold stores offer storage options for temperatures ranging from 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (150 square meters) and 15 to 25 degrees (1600 square meters). Mobile cooling equipment also seamlessly connects the air and land sides for temperature-sensitive products. Regular and closely timed roadfeeder services at Vienna Airport also enable rapid distribution via the European road network. Thanks to the favorable geographical position in Europe, pharmaceutical shipments from Vienna can reach 36 countries within 23 hours.

“In the field of life-saving and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical logistics, Lufthansa Cargo offers the fastest possible and safest handling and deliveries worldwide. The highest quality standards, uninterrupted cold chains and documentation as well as tailor-made solutions for each customer are essential for this. With the Vienna Pharma Handling Center, we were able to gain an important cooperation partner in order to be able to offer our high standards for pharmaceutical air freight at Vienna Airport,” says Therese Schlederer, Director Sales & Handling Austria at Lufthansa Cargo AG.