RFD Adds New Route for Pharma Shipments from India

Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) has unveiled a new GDP-certified trade lane for pharmaceutical cargo, designed to streamline the transport of pharmaceutical products from India to the United States. The inaugural shipment under this initiative was overseen by Penta Freight, a leading Indian freight forwarder specializing in pharmaceutical logistics, on behalf of a major Indian pharmaceutical firm.

The cargo journey began at Mumbai International Airport (BOM), was transferred to Frankfurt Main Airport (FRA), and then routed through Maersk’s cargo hub at Frankfurt Hahn Airport (HHN). It was subsequently transported to RFD aboard a Maersk Air Cargo-Magma Boeing 747-400F freighter. This new route underscores RFD's expanding role in facilitating pharmaceutical shipments to Chicago, a growing market for Indian pharmaceutical products. The initiative is a result of a collaboration between RFD and Xperts Group, a Chicago-based logistics firm specializing in pharmaceutical and life sciences handling, trucking, and warehousing.

The whole operation—from the aircraft’s arrival to the cargo being prepared for processing in the Chicago area—was wrapped up in just two hours, with the unloading of the freighter taking under five minutes after it landed. With increasing demand for pharmaceutical imports from India, RFD’s new capabilities establish the airport as a pivotal center for both efficient and eco-friendly pharmaceutical logistics in the region.

Zack Oakley, RFD executive director, stated, “The establishment at RFD of our GDP and GSP process for the handling of import pharma and life science products comes in direct response to a growing demand by the pharma sector in India, who along with their freight forwarding agents, want to improve the efficiency of the handling of these sensitive shipments by shipping them though a less congested airport system.”

Penta Freight’s deputy general manager for business development said in a statement “As a major freight forwarder in India, focused on the pharma sector, we continuously examine alternative airport routes/possibilities for pharma cargo shipments, especially airport solutions that can help our clients lower their costs, risks and importantly their CO2 emissions. Because flights into RFD are direct in approach and the aircraft is at the ramp ready to unload within five minutes of landing, the CO2 savings run into the tens of tonnes per shipment.”

He further added, “By being able to unload the pharma directly from the aircraft and into the reefer truck, we massively reduce risks and costs associated with the traditional airside air cargo airport handling process for pharma. Now that we have proven the GDP-GSP pharma handling process at RFD we anticipate growing this trade lane from India and feed more pharma into the US and especially RFD.”