Source: MIA

  • Airline’s Miami and Bogota stations are the first in the Americas to earn certification

Avianca Cargo announced today that it is the first airline in the Americas certified by the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Fresh program, for achieving the highest standards of quality and excellence for the transportation of perishable goods. IATA representatives officially presented the CEIV Fresh certificate to Avianca Cargo during a ceremony at the airline’s facilities at Miami International Airport. Miami and Bogota are the airline’s first certified stations, and Medellin and Quito will also be CEIV Fresh certified by the end of 2022.

“Congratulations to Avianca Cargo on being recognized for its dedication to cargo handling excellence. As the busiest U.S. airport for perishable freight, handling 69% of all perishable imports to the U.S. by air, we are proud to celebrate this global achievement with Avianca Cargo’s Miami operation,” said Ralph Cutié, MIA Director and CEO.

CEIV Fresh is based on IATA’s perishable cargo regulations, which combine regulatory and operational inputs from government and industry experts. With this certification, IATA certifies that Avianca Cargo meets the highest industry standards for food safety and waste prevention throughout the supply chain.

“At Avianca Cargo, we are constantly seeking to operate under the highest quality standards in each process we carry out. This is a highly relevant milestone and today we are very proud to receive this certification from IATA. Miami International Airport and all our allies are a fundamental part of the supply chain of perishable transport. We continue transforming our business and we want to continue being the best ally of our clients by transporting their products that are sensitive to time and temperature, under the highest quality standards. We continue to work every day to promote the development of Latin American economies and be a quality reference in the region,” commented Gabriel Oliva, Avianca Cargo CEO.

Avianca Cargo achieved the certification through risk and quality management, highly trained personnel for handling perishable goods, active collaboration, transparent communication, and a standardized approach to the transportation of perishable goods.

“Air cargo plays a very important role in the economies of the region. In many countries, agricultural exports contribute significantly to socioeconomic development. Almost 70% of all goods shipped via air freight between Latin America and North America consist of perishable products. Without the cooperation and collaboration of companies in the cold chain, and without harmonized global guidelines and standards followed by all, the risks of something going wrong are quite high. The industry has recognized this challenge and the benefits of this certification, that’s why we congratulate Avianca Cargo for taking this step and obtaining its CEIV Fresh certification,” said Peter Cerda, Regional Vice President for the Americas for IATA.

For Avianca, Latin America represents more than 50% of its transported cargo, including flowers from Colombia and Ecuador and other perishables such as fruit, fish, and meat products from Chile, Peru, Argentina, and all of Latin America to the United States, Europe and the rest of the world.