Avianca Cargo has become the first airline in the Americas certified by IATA’s Center for Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Fresh program for the transportation of perishable goods.
On Thursday (October 13, 2022), Miami International Airport (MIA) announced that Avianca Cargo has become the first airline in the Americas to by certified by IATA’s Center for Independent Validators (CEIV) Fresh program for the transport of perishable goods. IATA representatives officially presented the CEIV Fresh certificate to Avianca Cargo during a ceremony at the carrier’s facilities at MIA. Miami and Bogota are the airline’s first certified stations, with Medellin and Quito to be certified CEIV Fresh by the end of 2022.
In Thursday’s announcement, Miami International Airport’s Director and CEO, Ralph Cutié, said,
“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.”
Also commenting on the airline’s milestone achievement, Avianca Cargo’s CEO, Gabriel Oliva, added,
“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.”
IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas, Peter Cerdá, added,
“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.”
CEIV Fresh is based on IATA’s perishable cargo regulations, which combine inputs from government and industry experts. The certification means that Avianca Cargo has met the highest industry standards for food safety and waste prevention across the supply chain. The carrier achieved the certification through risk and quality management, highly trained personnel for handling perishables, active collaboration, transparent communication and a standardized approach for transporting perishable goods. For Avianca, Latin America represents 50 percent of transported cargo including flowers from Colombia and Ecuador and other perishables such as fruit, fish and meat products from Chile, Peru, Argentina and the rest of Latin America to the U.S., Europe and beyond.
Source: Miami International Airport