In a move that puts more options on the table for pharma customers, Emirates SkyCargo has entered into global container rental agreements with SkyCell and va-Q-tec. These complement its existing agreement with Envirotainer.
The Swiss made SkyCell containers are designed to maintain products at +2°C to +8°C and +15°C to +25°C safely even under extreme outside temperatures such as –35°C to +65°C for several days. “The patented containers use innovative material technology to recharge in Emirates SkyCargo’s cool chain network thus enabling “door-to-door” for a closed supply chain - and they have close to real time temperature monitoring capability,” an Emirates spokesman said.
The va-Q-tainer containers are advanced passive containers providing temperature-controlled solutions for six temperature ranges from -70°C to +25°C in extreme ambient conditions. They are available in five different sizes taking up to two US pallets inside and offer constant and deviation-free temperature control for several days without using external energy sources, according to the spokesman.
The airline’s existing in-house pharma offerings include the Emirates SkyPharma Cool Dolly which transports cargo from aircraft to storage areas in Dubai, maintaining temperatures as low as -20°C, and the ‘White Container’- a special container coated with insulators to counteract high external temperatures.