Technology
Continental Airlines Cargo
Expands Cold-Chain Services
Air cargo handler is modeling its offerings after good storage practices adopted by
the International Air Transport Association.
By David Vaczek
Senior Editor
As best industry practices for cold-chain shipping develop, pharma
and bio-drug firms are looking
for support from transport solution
providers. Several years ago, Continental
Airlines Cargo (Houston) launched its
ClimateSecure program for providing
control and visibility for sensitive cargo
consignments.
The carrier is extending its focus on
the cold chain with the planned launch
this year of a new product for maintaining ambient temperatures on the ground
and in flight.
“In offering the ClimateSecure service, we made the decision to develop
SOPs for temperature-sensitive drug
shipments. We have implemented procedures that very much mirror the Chapter
17 regulations [in the air industry’s Perishable Cargo Regulations (PCR)],” says
Mark Mohr, manager, product development and specialty sales.
“We are the only U.S. carrier with a
structured temperature-controlled
product for providing the best temperature management that we can
provide, in places that we can control.
We have a huge lead, and we intend
to maintain that lead,” Mohr adds.
The new solution includes temperature-controlled cargo carts for holding noncontainerized freight on the
ground and at ramp staging areas. The
specially modified units are made by
Refrigerated Container Supply (La
Porte, TX), whose solutions include
containers used for storage of batteries
Continental has evaluated cargo bin temp control options for various aircraft types to accommodate,
and not restrict, shipping capacity.
for NASA’s international space station.
ClimateSecure has offered priority
shipment services for RKN and
RAP-style containers, which are loaded
into Continental wide-body aircraft,
Boeing 767s and 777s. “We are primarily
a narrow-body airline. The cargo carts
will support temperature-controlled
handling, geared to the narrow-body
planes and palletized passive packouts.
Pharma shippers approached us for a
methodology for handling these conditions. The tarmac is absolutely the
weakest link in the temperature-control
chain, where cargo is exposed to climate
extremes. The ground is where we really
have the most opportunity to assist phar-
ma companies and their packaging suppliers,” says Mohr.
“Whether it’s 100ºF on the tarmac,
or below zero, we can ensure that we
are meeting label storage requirements,” he adds.
Chapter 17 of the PCR, adopted last
year by the International Air Transport
Association, defines good storage practices for handling medicinal products,
referencing guidance from groups
including the World Health Organization and the International Pharmacopoeia. The regulations cover
requirements for storage areas and storage conditions and for ensuring maintenance of storage conditions in
