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Virgin wins pharma licence
[ May 4, 2018 // Chris ]Virgin Atlantic Cargo has been granted a Wholesale Distribution Authorisation (WDA) for its global headquarters operations and its new Pharma Zone at Heathrow Airport. It confirms the airline’s compliance with Good Distribution Practice (GDP) and its ability to maintain the quality and integrity of medicinal products for human use.
WDA is recognised as a trusted and independent source of expertise throughout Europe.
Virgin Atlantic Cargo’s handling partner dnata has also gained WDA for its Cargo Point operation at Heathrow, which incorporates the Pharma Zone, shared by Virgin Atlantic and its joint venture partner, Delta Cargo.
Managing director of Virgin Atlantic Cargo, Dominic Kennedy (pictured), said: “The standards and requirements for everyone involved in the transportation of pharmaceuticals and life science products set out clear guidelines of what is expected of airlines serving customers in this growing market. We have been listening to our customers and responding to what they want. Wholesale Distribution Authorisation (WDA) was the regulatory compliance they asked us to achieve and now we meet their requirements at both our global headquarters and Pharma Zone.”
Virgin’s Pharma Zone is incorporates walk-in pods for loose pharma shipments and six chambers for pallet storage, which can accommodate 24 PMCs in 2-8C or 15-25C temperature ranges, as well as multiple charging points for active containers. Virgin is also co-locating its handling operations with Delta Cargo at major gateways in the UK and US.
