Japan Airlines Cargo Obtains CEIV Pharma Certification at Narita Airport

Japan Airlines has obtained its second CEIV Pharma Certification (The Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics), a quality certification system for pharmaceutical transportation established by IATA (International Air Transport Association), following the Kansai Airport Warehouse Certification in 2019. This makes JAL the only airline in Japan to have both CEIV Pharma Certification and the largest pharmaceutical temperature-controlled warehouse. 

CEIV Pharma Certification is an international standard based on GDP (Good Distribution Practice) for the proper distribution of pharmaceuticals to establish a high-quality supply chain. The importance of CEIV Pharma Certification is growing every year as the demand for air transport of pharmaceuticals increases and reagents and rare medicines require high quality transport.

JAL has reconstructed its organizational structure and management system related to pharmaceutical transportation at Narita Airport to obtain the certification. JAL will be able to offer a complete CEIV Pharma Certified supply chain, including airports and flights, together with cargo agents who have already received this certification. This allows JAL to expand not only pharmaceutical exports from Japan to overseas, but also import and transit demand from Europe and America, the world's pharmaceutical production bases, to Japan.

In October 2022, JAL opened the “JAL MEDI PORT” at Narita Airport, and this February “Pharma5” at Kansai Airport. JAL Kansai Air Cargo System, which is responsible for handling pharmaceuticals at Kansai Airport, has already received CEIV Pharma Certification in 2019.

This summer, JAL will launch a GDP-compliant cold chain logistics system using temperature controlled trucks for pharmaceuticals between Kansai, Narita, and Haneda airport. This will allow us to build a transportation flow as well as handling for each airport and provide a service that meets the high standards of pharmaceutical transportation in the inter airport transportation network.

JAL will support healthy living of people by providing high-quality pharmaceutical transportation services, and will continue to take on new challenges, such as reducing environmental impact and proposing sustainable logistics to improve the profitability of our cargo business.