Alha Group Air Cargo Italy

In 2015 Alha Group was one of the first global operators to obtain IATA CEIV Pharma certification, the reference standard for the transport and management of pharmaceutical products that incorporates the GDP (Good Distribution Practices) guidelines and defines the best service levels for the air transport of pharmaceutical products.

The Alha Group's certified pharma network, which guarantees dedicated temperature-controlled areas, 24-hour monitoring, experience in managing large shipments of vaccines and close collaboration with airlines, freight forwarders and suppliers of refrigerated containers, is ready to handle all types of vaccine, whatever the temperature range required.

1. Over the last decade, globally, the Air Cargo sector has developed a strong specialisation in the transport of temperature-controlled pharmaceutical products.
2.  The transport of vaccines is a regular activity for all specialised operators and is carried out according to precise procedures and management methods that guarantee the integrity of the product - from the production site to the distribution centres on the territory.
3. In the air transport of vaccines, technological and packaging solutions are regularly used to ensure that the product is stored at a controlled temperature (even at extremely low temperatures) during all transport phases. 
4. The Italian cargo community has a solid network of specialised and certified operators who have been managing vaccine transport operations, even on a large scale, for years.
5. The cargo terminals of Milan Malpensa and Rome Fiumicino are fully structured to handle all types of vaccines, including vaccines for Covid-19.

The transport requirements for vaccines are complex and variable, particularly with regard to temperature control. Depending on the type of vaccine, the temperature that must be guaranteed during transport and storage can vary from -80°C to -20°C or +2/+8°C.

1. Vaccines are transported in certified refrigerated containers, which guarantee the stability of the internal temperature (product temperature) for a sufficient time to cover the entire duration of transport.
2. 2. The use of refrigerated dollies (e.g. electric active containers, dry ice active containers or hybrid containers) allows to manage the transport in practically any environmental condition.
3. 3. Refrigerated dollies are not opened at the airport, vaccines are not extracted.
4. Some refrigerated containers can guarantee internal temperatures down to -80°C and are handled, during transport and at the airport, in the standard temperature ranges (-20°C, 2°C/8°C, 15°C/25°C), according to the operational specifications required from time to time.

Refrigeration containers differ in technology and require different interventions depending on the refrigeration system: mainly the recharging operations involve the addition of dry ice or connection to the electricity grid.

Vaccines must not stop at the airport; the airport operator must guarantee rapid transit times and minimise the processing time between unloading from the aircraft and loading onto the truck (for imports) and vice versa, for exports.