American Airlines Cargo opened a new pharmaceutical handling facility at Philadelphia International Airport, designed specifically to handle sensitive, valuable and potentially life-saving products that require cold chain procedures.
Called ExpediteTC cold storage, the building has 25,000 square feet, which is staffed and monitored 24/7. It includes 6,000 square feet of controlled room temperature space, which is kept at 59° to 75 °F, and 3,000 square feet of refrigerated area, maintained at 35° to 46° F. Additionally, a deep-frozen area is kept at -4° to 14°F. There is also a container management area capable of recharging 30 or more Envirotainer ULDs at a time. A full back-up power generation system protects cargo from loss due to temperature change.
American Airlines claims to be the only airline in the northeastern United States with a facility such as this that can handle the temperature-sensitive, life-science and healthcare cargo produced from nearby pharmaceutical companies.
AA Cargo also provides global training programs that are designed to provide each employee with the knowledge and skills to handle these delicate shipments properly.