Alibaba Group’s logistics arm Cainiao Network on Thursday announced a partnership with Ethiopian Airlines to launch a cold chain air freight for the transport of temperature-controlled medicines twice a week from Shenzhen, China to Africa.
Cainiao says the end-to-end transportation process will lay the foundation to readily respond to the need for global distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, which will require highly effective cold chain management.
The company chose Shenzhen as a departure point, as it is well-equipped to handle biotechnology products, including a 350-square-meter-wide, climate-controlled warehouse.
It is also the fourth airport in China to obtain the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) certification for pharmaceutical logistics.
James Zhao, general manager of Cainiao International Supply Chain said the launch “has further bolstered our global logistics capabilities and allows us to offer a one-stop solution for the global distribution of medical products such as Covid-19 vaccines.”
