- Latin America’s pharmaceutical cold chain faces its toughest test yet, with most temperature violations occurring on scorching airport ramps.
- GRU Airport in São Paulo is raising the bar with real-time tracking, CEIV Pharma standards, and smarter handling to keep medicines safe.
- Collaboration and innovation — from high-tech thermal wraps to standardized processes — are key to protecting patients and supporting a stronger, cooler supply chain.
Maintaining the integrity of temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals during air shipment remains one of the most pressing logistics challenges in Latin America. While cold chain management has evolved significantly in Europe and North America, Latin American airports still face systemic hurdles, especially when cargo is exposed to extreme temperatures on airport ramps.
Globally, air cargo accounts for approximately 80% of reported flights due to temperature, with approximately 60% of these occurring when cargo is on the runway. For Latin America, this problem is exacerbated by long routes across the hemisphere. “Long routes across climate zones increase exposure to temperature variations,” explains Marcelo Mazzali, Management System and Quality at GRU Airport. Handling companies in the region often lack certification in best practices, which increases risks.
The silent threat
The airport ramp is widely viewed as the most dangerous drug exposure point. “Ramps are the most critical exposure site at an airport, due to a combination of exposure to the elements, surfaces above 30 degrees Celsius, strong sun, tropical rain, and high humidity,” says Mzali.
These conditions generate multiple thermal hazards: direct solar radiation, hot asphalt re-radiating heat, convection heating from the surrounding air, and the greenhouse effect within the common plastic film. Mazzali warns that current testing standards often underestimate this threat. “Many labs use thermal chambers to simulate time and temperature, but they are not truly representative. Solar energy can be 10 times more stressful to a product’s temperature than exposure to ambient air,” he points out.
The consequences for pharmaceutical goods are significant. Exposure on the runway consumes valuable time to stabilize the temperature, effectively accelerating the deterioration of sensitive products. “When the payload is exposed to heat on the runway, it ends up taking up the temperature stabilization time and speeding up the time in temperature maintenance hours,” confirms Luisa Serveto, Global Marketing Manager at Cold Chain Technologies.
Critical gaps
Aside from ramps, other major risk areas include dock and loading areas, yards and customs. Boxes are often placed on forklifts while paperwork is being processed or remain in trucks with engines turned off, allowing temperatures to rise quickly. In “zero point” racking in warehouses, pallets can be exposed to ambient temperatures before reaching cold storage. Even short customs delays or delays due to X-rays – usually 2 hours – can extend to 24 hours during holidays or system outages.
“The recommended practice is not to leave cargo on the ramp for more than five minutes,” Serveto explains. “The reality in Latin America is closer to the two-and-a-half to three-hour average, and we have seen delays of up to 12 hours.”
Addressing these challenges requires streamlined processes, standard operating procedures, and greater collaboration among stakeholders. Technological solutions such as thermal blankets and data loggers also provide additional protection and important visibility.
The solution is in Sao Paulo
While many Latin American airports are still developing cold chain infrastructure, some are beginning to establish standards. For example, GRU Airport in São Paulo handles about 21,000 tons of cargo per day, with 30 percent of it classified as pharmaceuticals.
“GRU has invested in certifications such as CEIV Pharma, continuous process improvement, automated systems, temperature variation alerts, and more stringent receiving, warehousing and shipping SLAs,” Mzali points out. These measures are designed to reduce temperatures and enhance operational flow.
Real-time tracking plays a pivotal role. “By providing continuous monitoring of site and temperature conditions, it allows all stakeholders to detect problems as they occur, rather than after the fact,” Mzali explains. Quick decisions can then be made to reroute shipments, adjust storage or notify response teams, protecting product quality and reducing waste.
Innovations in thermal protection
Advanced thermal blankets are gaining momentum across the region. Cold Chain Technologies evaluated 18 thermal covers using slope exposure tests and environmental chamber simulations. “Even a basic thermal wrap can extend temperature protection for several additional hours,” Cerveto says.
Interestingly, performance does not always correlate with thickness. “Most blankets work using the basic principle of insulation – the thicker they are, the more they protect. The exception is CCT blankets, which protect against radiation rather than air temperature. This demonstrates the risks posed by solar radiation compared to ambient air.”
Lessons learned
Past failures highlight the need for more stringent oversight. Mzali recounts an anonymous shipment of biotechnology from Germany: Due to reused packaging and mislabeled temperature requirements, the 2-8°C shipment was handled incorrectly, resulting in a total loss. “We now prioritize checking the temperature between the package and the system and resolving the issue within an SLA of one to two hours maximum,” he says.
Effective collaboration between shippers, airlines, ground handlers and suppliers remains crucial. “Align and simplify processes! By promoting best practices and aligning processes, stakeholders can improve communication, reduce delays and deliver a higher level of service,” Mzali asserts.
As Brazil emerges as a major pharmaceutical export hub, stakeholders are adapting to meet international compliance standards. Some companies are now investing in qualified packaging and certified thermal blankets, while regulatory bodies such as ANVISA must step up monitoring and legislation.
Looking to the future, Serveto emphasizes education and data sharing. “Operations are only as good as their weakest link, so there must be a coordinated approach between airlines, airports, customs authorities, third party service companies and solution providers like Cold Chain Technologies.”
Strengthening the cold chain in Latin America is an urgent issue. As Serveto concludes, “By understanding vulnerabilities, leveraging technology, and enhancing collaboration, the region can reduce tarmac wait times, protect patient safety, and build a resilient pharmaceutical supply chain.”
About the Author
