Israel's CAL Cargo Airlines, has joined IATA's Centre of Excellence for Independent Validates for Pharmaceutical Logistics program (CEIV Pharmacy) via its logistics hub at Liege Airport in Belgium.

The new IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) on Pharmaceutical Handling will help airlines, handlers and forwarders to be compliant with international regulations and to get a share of this fast-growing and lucrative market.

The program assesses an organization’s cool chain processes and facilities and verify compliance with all applicable international standards and guidelines. These include the EU, World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Pharmacopeia.

Certification involves evaluating best practices for cool-chain handling and provides training for all involved in the handling pharmaceuticals in transport, will begin this month for CAL and is expected to continues through June, with full certification expected in July 2015.

Once the certification is finalized, CAL said it will be the only company with both a CEIV-certified airline (CAL Cargo Airlines) and a certified ground-handling operation (Liege Air Cargo Handling Services).

CAL Group has nearly 40 years of experience handling temperature-sensitive air freight, said CEO Eyal Zagagi, adding that 35% of its trade is temperature controlled. Ronald Schaefer, IATA project leader for CEIV Pharma, said: "We are excited about CAL’s commitment.

With the CEIV Pharma programme, IATA aims to work closely with industry and regulators to raise the bar and make air freight the mode of choice for the transportation of pharmaceutical products. “This will help companies demonstrate the quality of their services and capture new business."