TORONTO: GTA dnata, dnata’s joint-venture company in Canada, has been certified by IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) for its pharma handling processes and facilities in Toronto. GTA dnata is the first ground services provider to be awarded the prestigious certification for warehousing as well as ramp handling and ground transportation services in North America.
The CEIV Pharma program was created by IATA to provide a globally consistent and recognized pharmaceutical product handling certification that focuses on airfreight and temporary storage. The stringent standards set by CEIV Pharma and the rigorous assessments conducted either meet or exceed many of the current worldwide regulations.
The CEIV Pharma certification cements GTA dnata’s position as a leader in pharmaceutical handling in Toronto. In order to meet the current and future needs of its customers, GTA dnata is planning to increase its capacity by opening a 45,000 square foot warehouse dedicated to the handling of temperature-sensitive freight. The new facility will be operational in February 2019.
Mario D’Urso, Chairman & CEO of GTA dnata, said: “The CEIV Pharma certification is a significant milestone for us as it reaffirms our commitment to achieving excellence with regards to safety, security, compliance and efficiency in the handling of pharmaceutical products. Our teams invest a great deal of effort to safeguard the integrity of medical products, and this certification provides further assurance of the high quality of our services to our customers.”
dnata entered the Canadian market by establishing GTA dnata through the acquisition of a 50% stake in GTA Aviation’s cargo and ground handling operations at Toronto Pearson International Airport in 2016. GTA dnata now provides ground handling and cargo services to a total of 15 airlines in Toronto, handling more than 24 daily flights, assisting 4,800 passengers and moving 148 tons of cargo every day.
Underlining its commitment to the Canadian aviation market, in 2019 dnata will also establish flight catering operations and open a new, state-of-the art facility in Vancouver with a team of over 100 dedicated employees. Representing an investment of more than CAD $7 million, the facility will have an initial capacity of up to 8,000 inflight meals a day.
A global air services provider and the trusted partner of over 300 airline customers, dnata offers ground handling, cargo and catering services at 127 airports in 18 countries. dnata constantly invests into cutting-edge pharma handling technologies, which is underlined by the GDP certification of its Amsterdam, London, Manchester and Singapore, as well as the CEIV certification of its Amsterdam, Dubai and Singapore facilities. News Desk
