Hyderabad, India: Lufthansa Cargo is to use Hyderabad International Airport as one of its key cargo hubs in South Asia for temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals.
Christopher Dehio, senior manager, global key accounts, Lufthansa Cargo, said the airline would operate three wide-bodied freighters a week to Hyderabad. India was a key market and fast catching up in the cargo business. Air cargo in Asia grew by 40% between 2008 and 2010, and in India by 169% during that period, he said.
Hyderabad is India’s first airport to be certified as a hub by Lufthansa. The dedicated pharmaceutical zone at Hyderabad airport, which became operational in January, can provide temperature-controlled handling for more than 30,000 tonnes of pharmaceutical products annually.
The zone will have officials from the drug controller’s office and the customs department. Lufthansa Cargo will provide the capacity for transport of temperature-sensitive cargo. The company will station its own fleet of cooling containers called, Opti-Coolers, at Hyderabad.
