Swiss WorldCargo’s handling partner Cargologic recently obtained the ‘Center of Excellence for Independent Validators’ (CEIV) Pharma re-certification from IATA for pharmaceutical handling at the Zurich Hub, proving its commitment to high-quality pharma handling. Alongside Swiss WorldCargo’s CEIV Pharma re-certification in 2024, Cargologic’s renewed accreditation further reinforces the two organizations’ shared commitment to keep delivering excellence to customers worldwide.

The pharmaceutical industry relies heavily on airfreight for its speed, efficiency and reliability in transporting time-sensitive and temperature-controlled shipments – ensuring product integrity throughout the supply chain. While air transport offers numerous benefits for all stakeholders involved in the cold chain, the handling and transportation of pharmaceuticals via airfreight also presents unique challenges and responsibilities. In fact, pharmaceutical manufactures and shippers expect high-quality services, including solid expertise, appropriate facilities, advanced infrastructure and strict regulatory compliance.

To support these needs, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) developed the Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma). This program aims to support organizations and the entire air cargo supply chain to achieve excellence in pharmaceutical handling.

Swiss WorldCargo first earned the globally recognized CEIV Pharma certification in 2018, a testament to the airfreight division’s expertise and reliability in pharmaceutical logistics. Swiss WorldCargo has since been successfully and fully re-certified in 2021 and again in 2024. These milestones place Swiss WorldCargo among a selected small group of airlines that maintain full CEIV Pharma certification.

Cargologic – Swiss WorldCargo’s handling partner in Zurich – initially secured the CEIV Pharma certification from IATA back in 2015, affirming the company’s ability to fulfil the high-quality standards required for pharmaceutical handling at the Zurich Hub. With the re-certification in 2022 and the most recent one this year, Cargologic has further demonstrated its expertise and commitment to quality, representing one of the first companies receiving the re-certification continuously. This achievement adds to other certifications already in place, such as the GDP compliance from Swissmedic, obtained in 2014.

As global regulations become increasingly strict – especially regarding temperature-sensitive shipments – the demand for high-quality air cargo processes in handling pharmaceuticals continues to rise. Cargologic’s latest CEIV Pharma re-certification underscores the company’s continuous improvement efforts to meeting the highest industry standards.

“We warmly congratulate Cargologic on their received CEIV Pharma re-certification and their continuous commitment to quality” said Alain Chisari, Head of Swiss WorldCargo. “This achievement reflects our handling partner’s dedication to reliable services and the key role they play in ensuring the integrity of our pharmaceutical shipments at our Zurich Hub. Together as strategic partners, we are pleased and proud to adhere to the highest standards in the air cargo industry and keep delivering secure and high-quality service to our pharmaceutical customers around the world.”

“This important award proves that our air freight handling processes are continuously being improved and meet the highest standards. Together with Swiss WorldCargo, we want to grow even more”, said Marco Gredig, Managing Director of Cargologic. “As a leading company in the air freight industry, Cargologic attaches great importance to quality and excellent service.”

About Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s largest air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced and carbon-efficient aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its Swiss WorldCargo division offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. As The Airline of Switzerland, SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. The company has also committed to the ambitious climate goals of halving its 2019 net carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and making its operations entirely carbon-neutral by 2050, particularly by promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.

For more information about Swiss WorldCargo’s SWISS Mail product, please visit our dedicated website page here and check out our full flight schedule here.

About Cargologic

Cargologic has specialised in handling air freight on behalf of airlines and freight forwarders for over 70 years. The company is recognised as the leading Swiss provider of air freight handling services. The approximately 800 employees handle up to 430,000 tonnes of air freight every year. The company has a presence in Zurich and Bern and has been part of the Rhenus Group since 2002. 

About Rhenus 

The Rhenus Group is one of the leading logistics specialists with global business operations and annual turnover amounting to EUR 7.5 billion. 40,000 employees work at 1,320 business sites in more than 70 countries and develop innovative solutions along the complete supply chain. Whether providing transport, warehousing, customs clearance or value-added services, the family-owned business pools its operations in various business units where the needs of customers are the major focus at all times.

Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of SWISS, expert in the transportation of high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments, and FIEGE Air Cargo Logistics, one of Europe’s most innovative logistics companies offering integrated services for airfreight handling, entered a collaboration with the common purpose of bringing significant enhancements to mail handling practices in Zurich.

On 3 March 2025, Swiss WorldCargo officially celebrated the opening of the new mail handling facility at the Zurich Airport – operated by its new mail handling partner FIEGE Air Cargo Logistics – with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The new partnership between Swiss WorldCargo and FIEGE Air Cargo Logistics underlines both entities’ commitment to keep offering their customers efficient, trustworthy, and flexible services for mail handling needs. Thanks to the new set-up at the mail handling facility, Swiss WorldCargo is boosting the quality and reliability of its SWISS Mail product across multiple key aspects.

From left to right: Florian Egner (FIEGE), Konrad Gastpari (SWC), Mathijs van der Lei (FIEGE), Massimiliano Ferro (SWC), Benjamin Looser (FIEGE), Christian Wyss (SWC), Vinko Castrogiovanni (FIEGE), Alan Fischer (SWC), Jannis Kumbrink (FIEGE), Ionut-Gabriel Bostinariu (FIEGE)

What this new collaboration means for customers
First of all, the airfreight division will now serve its customers in Zurich during extended opening hours, namely 05:00 - 21:00 CET daily, with import mail arriving in Zurich being processed during the above-mentioned full operating hours.

Additionally, the newly arranged set-up and latest collaboration will not only ensure shorter transit times with a minimum connection time of six hours, but will also guarantee same-day connections for mail shipments arriving in Zurich on flights landing before 17:00 CET; these shipments can reach their final destination in Europe - or connect to late evening international flights - within the same day.

“Collaborating with reliable and innovative partners is one way to make progress possible” said Alain Chisari, Head of Swiss WorldCargo. “We are very enthusiastic to be partnering with FIEGE Air Cargo Logistics to further enhance our mail handling procedures. By combining our strengths, we are not only developing our services further but also creating new opportunities to deliver greater value to our customers”.

“We are very grateful for the trust Swiss WorldCargo has placed in us and look forward to taking the next step in our expansion strategy with this new partnership. With our expertise in air cargo handling, automation and digitalisation, we will jointly develop airmail handling in Zurich and create added value for Swiss WorldCargo's customers” said Benjamin Looser,  Managing Director at FIEGE Air Cargo Logistics. 

About Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s largest air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced and carbon-efficient aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its Swiss WorldCargo division offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. As The Airline of Switzerland, SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. The company has also committed to the ambitious climate goals of halving its 2019 net carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and making its operations entirely carbon-neutral by 2050, particularly by promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.

For more information about Swiss WorldCargo’s SWISS Mail product, please visit our dedicated website page here and check out our full flight schedule here.

About FIEGE Air Cargo Logistics

FIEGE Air Cargo Logistics is a subsidiary of the FIEGE Group specializing in air cargo handling and extended logistics solutions. FIEGE Air Cargo Logistics handles around one million tons of freight annually at different airports. As a 360-degree service provider, FIEGE Air Cargo Logistics offers a comprehensive portfolio that ranges from inbound to transportation and warehousing to outbound processes. Find more information here.

Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of SWISS, Switzerland’s leading air carrier, and Freightos Limited (NASDAQ: CRGO), a leading vendor-neutral booking and payment platform for international freight, establish a collaboration with the shared intent to enhance their customers’ digital booking experience. Various Swiss WorldCargo’s products and services for selected markets in Europe, Asia and Americas are bookable on the air cargo booking platform WebCargo by Freightos.

This collaboration connects WebCargo by Freightos’ real-time rate comparisons and eBooking with Swiss WorldCargo’s robust long-haul connectivity - spanning Asia-Pacific and the Americas - alongside strong pan-European connections. In addition, it demonstrates Swiss WorldCargo’s commitment to provide its customers with a seamless digital booking experience. 

Swiss WorldCargo is recognized worldwide for its expertise in transporting high-value, care-intensive, and temperature-sensitive shipments across a vast network of over 170 destinations globally. Thanks to high-quality procedures, a reliable trucking network, trusted partnerships, and swift turnaround times in Zurich and Geneva, the premium cargo carrier offers a guarantee of efficiency and safety in its services to freight forwarders worldwide.

The partnership between Swiss WorldCargo and WebCargo aims to provide forwarders with enhanced options for care-intensive and specialized shipments like pharmaceuticals. WebCargo by Freightos, one of the leading air cargo booking platforms, connects freight forwarders with real-time rates and capacity from more than 55 airlines, as well as some 370 air cargo carriers globally.

Through its new global partnership with WebCargo, Swiss WorldCargo intends to enhance its digital presence, connecting with a wide network of forwarders globally. Swiss WorldCargo’s modular product portfolio bookable on WebCargo for selected markets in Europe, Asia and the Americas includes SWISS General Cargo and SWISS Pharma and Healthcare. These products can be paired with the Celsius Passive transportation solution for temperature-sensitive shipments and the X-Presso option for expedited transportation.

Alain Chisari, Head of Swiss WorldCargo, comments: “We take pride in delivering Swiss-quality service and reliability across every aspect of our work. This commitment extends to our digital journey, ensuring a seamless and reliable experience for our customers. Partnering with the digital platform WebCargo allows us to elevate our customers’ digital booking experience while expanding our market presence onto future-looking digital solutions”.

Zvi Schreiber, founder and CEO of Freightos, said: "The integration of Swiss WorldCargo into WebCargo by Freightos marks another significant milestone in the Digital Air Cargo revolution. Swiss WorldCargo’s extensive network and premium service enable thousands of WebCargo freight forwarder customers to instantly book their air cargo needs, including specialized shipments like pharmaceuticals."

Forwarders looking to book Swiss WorldCargo on WebCargo by Freightos can register here. 

About Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s largest air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced and carbon-efficient aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its Swiss WorldCargo division offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. As The Airline of Switzerland, SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. The company has also committed to the ambitious climate goals of halving its 2019 net carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and making its operations entirely carbon-neutral by 2050, particularly by promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.

About Freightos

Freightos® (NASDAQ: CRGO) is the leading vendor-neutral global freight booking platform. Airlines, ocean carriers, thousands of freight forwarders, and well over ten thousand importers and exporters connect on Freightos, making world trade faster, more efficient and more resilient.

The Freightos platform digitizes the trillion dollar international freight industry, supported by a suite of software solutions that span pricing, quoting, booking, shipment management, and payments for global businesses of all shapes and sizes. Products include the Freightos Marketplace, WebCargo, WebCargo for Airlines, 7LFreight by WebCargo, Shipsta by Freightos, and Clearit.

Freightos is a leading provider of real-time industry data via Freightos Terminal, which includes the world’s leading spot pricing indexes, Freightos Air Index (FAX) for air cargo and Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) for container shipping.

SWISS has appointed Alain Chisari as the new head of its Swiss WorldCargo airfreight division. He will take up his new duties on 1 October 2024. Chisari, who is 52, has held various SWISS and Lufthansa Group management positions since he joined SWISS in 2008. He is presently serving as the ITA Implementation Officer for the Lufthansa Group. As the new Head of Swiss WorldCargo he succeeds Lorenzo Stoll, who has decided to pursue a new professional path outside the airline industry. 

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has appointed Alain Chisari as its new Head of Swiss WorldCargo. In his new capacity Chisari will bear overall responsibility for SWISS’s entire airfreight division of some 300 employees worldwide and for developing and implementing the division’s business strategy.  

Chisari, who is 52, succeeds Lorenzo Stoll, who left Swiss WorldCargo at the end of July. After 11 years with SWISS, Lorenzo Stoll has decided to pursue a new professional path in a different business segment, and will be taking over as CEO of a Swiss company that is active in the healthcare sector.

Alain Chisari joined SWISS in 2008 having already acquired 12 years of industry experience with other airlines outside the Lufthansa Group. He initially served as Head of Leisure Sales, before moving within SWISS to become Head of External Relations & Alliances. In 2013 he moved to SWISS’s sister airline Edelweiss, where he spent the next five years as Chief Commercial Officer and a Member of the Management Board. After a further five years serving first as the Singapore-based Vice President Area Management Asia & Pacific for the Lufthansa Group and subsequently in the Group’s Munich-based Area Management EMEA, he assumed his present function as the Lufthansa Group’s Implementation Officer for Italian airline ITA Airways one year ago.

“Alain Chisari brings a vast range of experience of the airline business both within and beyond the Lufthansa Group to his new position,” says SWISS Chief Commercial Officer Heike Birlenbach. “Thanks to his various international activities, he is also excellently connected throughout our industry. I’m convinced that he will continue to successfully develop our air cargo business, and I look forward to working with him. I also offer Lorenzo Stoll my warmest thanks for all his service and commitment. He steered our airfreight division with great success, not least through the highly challenging pandemic times; and he and his Swiss WorldCargo team have consistently made a key contribution to our company’s favourable earnings of the past few years.” 

Alain Chisari is a Swiss-Italian dual national. He holds an Executive Master’s Degree in General Management from the SGMI Institute of Management St. Gallen, and speaks fluent English, French, German, Italian and Swedish.

About Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s largest air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced and carbon-efficient aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its Swiss WorldCargo division offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. As The Airline of Switzerland, SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. The company has also committed to the ambitious climate goals of halving its 2019 net carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and making its operations entirely carbon-neutral by 2050, particularly by promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.

From 1 January 2025, Swiss WorldCargo will include the rising costs of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) due to regulatory environmental requirements in the price index of its existing Airfreight Surcharge (ASC). Starting in 2025, a statutory SAF blending quota of initially two percent will apply for departures from European Union (EU) countries. Countries outside the EU are also planning to introduce or have already introduced mandatory SAF blends.

How does the Airfreight Surcharge work?

The ASC was introduced in 2015. It is a combined surcharge to cover rising costs beyond Swiss WorldCargo’s control. So far, these have mainly been related to rising prices for fuel, currency, air/traffic control and security prices.

The calculation system for said surcharge relies on a flexible and fair system that works as follows: Swiss WorldCargo monitors the development of additional costs for the ASC using a standardized index calculation system. If the indexed costs justify an adjustment of the ASC up or down, the cargo carrier can decide to adjust the ASC rate. The ASC is added to the net price of each shipment.

In some countries, regulations do not allow surcharges or only allow them to be applied in certain  ways. In addition, market-specific requirements are considered to ensure a balanced relationship between ASC and net tariffs. This may result in different country-specific surcharge levels.

Systematic climate targets

As a leading international cargo carrier, our mission is to enable global business and connect economies and markets in a more sustainable way. Together with the Lufthansa Group, our company has set itself ambitious climate protection targets. SWISS and Swiss WorldCargo aim to achieve a neutral CO2 balance by 2050 and to halve the company’s net CO2 emissions by 2030 compared to 2019. To achieve these goals, the company is focusing in particular on investing in an innovative and sustainable fleet, continuous optimization of flight operations, and the leverage of SAF, included in our ‘Green Choice’ Add-on Service, to make cargo transportation more sustainable in order to achieve effective climate protection.

The ‘Green Choice’ Add-on Service enables customers to transport their shipments with Swiss WorldCargo in a more sustainable way by combining SAF with high-quality climate protection projects and documenting this investment with emissions-reduction certificates.

SAF is a key technology to achieve more sustainable flying and is essential for the energy transition in aviation. However, the aviation industry cannot drive forward a competitive SAF market on its own. A significant increase in the use of SAF is only possible if its supply volumes and availability increase substantially as quickly as possible and the prices fall accordingly. Biogenic SAF is currently available in small quantities and 3-5 times more expensive than fossil fuel. A targeted policy strategy is needed for companies and airlines to be able to meet the volumes for the blending rates and beyond.

Background information

Individual flights are not fueled with pure SAF. As a so-called "drop-in" fuel, SAF is compatible with fossil kerosene and can be easily added to it. Before being transported to the airport, SAF is blended with fossil aviation fuel and then fed into the airport infrastructure. The Lufthansa Group ensures that the amount of SAF required to offset individual CO2 emissions is fed into the Lufthansa Group's flight operations within six months of purchase. Over its entire life cycle, SAF made from biogenic residues has a carbon footprint that is approximately 80 percent lower than that of conventional kerosene made from fossil crude oil.

About Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s largest air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced and carbon-efficient aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its Swiss WorldCargo division offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. As The Airline of Switzerland, SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. The company has also committed to the ambitious climate goals of halving its 2019 net carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and making its operations entirely carbon-neutral by 2050, particularly by promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.

Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines, has recently received IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) re-certification, which applies again to the entire airline and organization. The re-certification was awarded following a thorough audit operated by IATA’s recognized independent auditors.

As the temperature-controlled handling of pharmaceutical products continues to be increasingly challenging due to global regulatory conditions, IATA created CEIV Pharma alongside aviation’s stakeholders and regulators to address the industry’s need for safer, more secure, compliant and efficient pharmaceutical product handling across the entire air cargo supply chain.

In 2018, the IATA authorities awarded Swiss WorldCargo a full CEIV Pharma certification, recognizing the airfreight division’s globally consistent and high-quality pharmaceutical handling processes to safeguard product integrity. In 2021, Swiss WorldCargo was successfully re-certified, becoming part of a small, select group of airlines who has earned this recognition and holds a full CEIV Pharma certification.

Swiss WorldCargo’s expertise in transporting pharmaceuticals has been recognized in the air cargo industry since many years. Achieving an IATA CEIV Pharma re-certification for the second time provides evidence of the division’s commitment to quality and safety, and its ability to adhere to the highest compliance and regulatory requirements.

“I am very proud of Swiss WorldCargo being awarded a full CEIV Pharma re-certification again, which speaks for our continuous efforts to maintain the highest standards of quality, reliability, and safety, which ultimately result in the peace of mind of our customers around the world. We are happy to cover an important role in the air cargo industry, by transporting pharmaceuticals globally every day through a solid commitment to the critical safeguarding of the products’ integrity”, says Lorenzo Stoll, Head of Cargo at Swiss International Air Lines.

With the pharmaceutical sector being one of the key driving forces of the Swiss economy, the air cargo industry identifies the need to establish a solid network of certified pharmaceutical trade lanes that meets consistent high-quality standards and ensures the products’ integrity. In addition to Swiss WorldCargo becoming fully CEIV Pharma re-certified for the second time in 2024, Swiss WorldCargo’s Zurich hub is double certified: GDP compliant by Swissmedic and CEIV Pharma certified.

About Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s largest air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced and carbon-efficient aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its Swiss WorldCargo division offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. As The Airline of Switzerland, SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. The company has also committed to the ambitious climate goals of halving its 2019 net carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and making its operations entirely carbon-neutral by 2050, particularly by promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.