Avianca Cargo became the first airline in the Americas to earn Good Distribution Practices (GDP) certification for pharmaceutical handling across its European network, following the certification of its operations in Madrid and Barcelona, Spain.

The certification is based on World Health Organization guidelines for the good distribution practices of medicines. Issued by SGS, an independent certification body, it verifies that Avianca Cargo meets requirements for handling, storing, distributing and transporting pharmaceuticals and other health care products while maintaining their quality and integrity throughout the supply chain.

“Becoming the first airline in the Americas to earn Good Distribution Practices (GDP) Pharma certification for our operations in Madrid and Barcelona marks a new milestone in our strategy to strengthen our specialized pharmaceutical transport services. Together with our IATA CEIV Pharma certification, this achievement reinforces our commitment to an industry that depends on safe, consistent and traceable operations,” said Diogo Elias, CEO of Avianca Cargo.

This certification reinforces Avianca Cargo’s commitment to its customers and strengthens its ability to meet the pharmaceutical industry’s needs. Madrid and Barcelona serve as strategic hubs for consolidating pharmaceutical shipments from across Europe. Both cities are part of a network that gives Avianca Cargo greater control over its operations and enables it to offer a specialized, reliable supply chain connected to major markets.

The commitment and expertise of Avianca Cargo’s teams were key to achieving the certification in just six months, compared with the approximately 12 months typically required to complete the process for this type of audit.

Avianca Cargo continues to strengthen its role as a strategic partner to the pharmaceutical industry and advance its goal of becoming the leading airline for transporting pharmaceutical products.

With this achievement, Avianca Cargo and Gollog continue to advance their plans to expand pharmaceutical transport capabilities worldwide. By 2027, Abra Group plans to extend GDP Pharma certification to strategic stations in London, Paris and Lisbon, creating an increasingly extensive network of certified operations and strengthening its value proposition for the pharmaceutical industry.