In recognition of the efforts undertaken by Oman Airports during the current pandemic, Muscat International Airport has achieved a new milestone by receiving both the ‘CEIV Pharma’ and ‘CEIV Fresh’ certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for excellence in the handling of both pharmaceuticals and perishables. Muscat International Airport is the first airport in the world to receive both awards simultaneously working as a broad cargo community including Oman Air, Transom SATS, Transom Handling, and Swissport, alongside the Airport team.
The cargo community at Muscat International Airport has worked alongside representatives from IATA over the past eighteen months, to ensure compliance with all requirements. The successful completion of the accreditation program is only possible with a strong partnership approach across the Airport community and is a testament to the hard work put in by all-cargo partners.
Sheikh Samer bin Ahmed al Nabhani, Commercial Chief Officer at Oman Airports, said, “ This new achievement by Muscat International Airport being awarded the IATA’s CEIV Pharma and CEIV Fresh Accreditation demonstrates the commitment of the management of Oman Airports to support the development of the air cargo network and capitalising on the strategic location of Oman in particular as a cargo hub; not only for import and export to serve the Omani economy, but also as a regional transfer hub linking the Middle East region, Africa, Asia, and Europe.
He added, “I take this opportunity to congratulate our strategic partners from the public and private sectors for their role and efforts in supporting the achievement of this new milestone. Their contribution has significantly enhanced the cargo operations at Muscat International Airport which has grown a significant size, with the new cargo building equipped to handle larger capacities as we aspire to become a key regional player in the sector. These efforts have already played a critical and vital role in strengthening global supply chains by continuously supporting cargo operations and the transportation of medical and safety equipment of various kinds during the Covid 19 pandemic. As well, they are still ongoing with the start of the vaccination operations at the global level in order to ensure safe and effective delivery of the vaccine and medicines to or across the Sultanate.”
Oman Airports attained growth in cargo operations of 142% in 2020, handling a range of cargo flights to both offload and upload cargo, but also supporting cargo airlines with technical, fuel stops, and crew layovers. Oman Airports have also continued to accommodate flights throughout the pandemic by airlines such as Cargolux, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, and DHL.
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