DHL Expands Life Sciences & Healthcare Cold Chain Network
DHL Group today announced a major expansion of its Life Sciences & Healthcare (LSH) logistics capabilities through a dedicated Airfreight Cold Chain Network, marking a significant step in the company’s strategy to transform the movement of temperature-sensitive medicines, vaccines, pharmaceutical products, and cell and gene therapies globally. This expansion is part of DHL’s EUR2 billion strategic investment in DHL Health Logistics and is designed to provide customers with full end-to-end visibility for critical healthcare shipments, while addressing the evolving requirements of the world’s largest pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. The initiative is aimed at delivering reliable, compliant, and fully transparent cold chain logistics solutions that meet the increasingly stringent expectations of life sciences organizations worldwide.
Strategic Vision for End-to-End Cold Chain Solutions
“Life sciences and healthcare companies expect cold chain solutions that are reliable, compliant, and transparent from end to end, and those expectations are rising fast,” said Oscar de Bok, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight. “At the same time, these organizations are looking for ways to simplify supply chains, reduce operational costs, and maintain product integrity across global markets. Our expanded network brings together DHL Aviation’s worldwide air connectivity, GDP-compliant station networks, and significant investments in modern temperature-controlled facilities, delivering a resilient and efficient logistics backbone for customers who depend on flawless quality to get critical therapies to patients.” The initiative also addresses the growing complexity of international regulations, capacity constraints, and geopolitical uncertainties, ensuring customers can move highly sensitive healthcare products with confidence.
Strengthening Product Integrity and Supply Chain Resilience
By reducing reliance on third-party carriers and commercial airlines, DHL is able to maintain tighter control over product integrity and temperature management throughout the shipment journey. This approach enhances supply chain resilience, mitigating risks associated with delays, temperature excursions, and compliance issues. The network expansion increases capacity for temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical and medical shipments and connects key markets through more than 30 GDP-compliant aviation hubs and gateways globally. This infrastructure supports the safe, efficient transport of high-value biologics and critical cell and gene therapies, while also enabling the pharmaceutical industry to respond to sudden demand fluctuations or regulatory changes without compromising patient safety.
Connecting Key Global Hubs: Brussels to Cincinnati
The network’s initial route links major DHL hubs, starting with Brussels (BRU) and Cincinnati (CVG), with additional connections planned across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. The BRU-CVG corridor is strategically important, connecting the U.S. Midwest—home to leading pharmaceutical companies—directly to Europe’s advanced life sciences ecosystem. By avoiding congested coastal ports and air lanes, the corridor ensures a seamless, temperature-controlled pathway for high-value and time-critical shipments, including biologics and cell and gene therapies. At Brussels, the route is supported by 45,000 square meters of dedicated pharma-only zones at BRUcargo, providing clinical-grade handling and storage facilities that maintain product integrity from origin to destination. This connection establishes a robust and resilient bridge between two of the world’s most important healthcare markets.
Supporting Global Health Logistics and Patient Safety
The network expansion is central to DHL’s mission of strengthening global health logistics and meeting the rising demand for fast, reliable, temperature-controlled transport of pharmaceutical products and medical supplies. Patient safety remains the core priority of the service, with the expanded infrastructure enabling the transport of medicines and therapies with minimal temperature deviation. Investments in modern, temperature-controlled facilities also reduce the need for heavy packaging and refrigerated containers, offering a more cost-effective service without compromising quality. By enhancing supply chain reliability, DHL is helping healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, and logistics partners maintain consistent delivery standards, even amid growing market pressures and regulatory requirements.
Dedicated Boeing 777 Freighter for Pharma Shipments
To support the network, DHL has introduced a dedicated Boeing 777 freighter operating between Brussels and Cincinnati. This aircraft, featuring the new DHL Health Logistics livery, serves as a visible representation of the company’s strategic focus on healthcare logistics. Beyond branding, the freighter’s dedicated routing provides controllable capacity for one of the most critical pharma lanes, reinforcing DHL’s high standards for reliability and temperature management. By operating its own aircraft, DHL can ensure consistent scheduling, reduced handling, and optimized transit times, delivering a more predictable and secure logistics service for temperature-sensitive shipments. This investment also signals DHL’s commitment to long-term growth in life sciences logistics, providing a scalable solution for expanding global demand.
Enhancing GDP Compliance and Operational Efficiency
The expanded network incorporates over 30 GDP-compliant aviation hubs and gateways, each equipped with state-of-the-art temperature-controlled infrastructure, monitoring systems, and handling protocols. These facilities ensure that sensitive medicines, vaccines, and advanced therapies are stored and transported in fully controlled environments that meet regulatory requirements and maintain product efficacy. By integrating air connectivity, station networks, and specialized handling zones, DHL is able to streamline operations, reduce risk of delays or temperature excursions, and simplify complex supply chains. This level of operational efficiency benefits customers seeking cost-effective solutions while ensuring regulatory compliance and patient safety.
Global Reach and Future Expansion Plans
While the initial Brussels-Cincinnati route provides a strategic transatlantic connection, DHL plans to expand the network to additional key markets across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. Each new route will integrate GDP-compliant stations, specialized handling zones, and dedicated airfreight capacity to create a seamless, globally connected cold chain network. By expanding in these regions, DHL aims to meet the growing demand for temperature-controlled logistics solutions, particularly for time-sensitive cell and gene therapies, vaccines, and other high-value medicines. The long-term objective is to create a truly global platform for healthcare logistics that enables rapid, secure, and reliable delivery of critical therapies to patients worldwide.
Commitment to Innovation in Life Sciences Logistics
DHL’s investments reflect a broader commitment to innovation in life sciences and healthcare logistics. By combining advanced airfreight capacity, temperature-controlled infrastructure, and real-time monitoring technologies, DHL is redefining how pharmaceutical and healthcare products are moved globally. The company continues to explore new solutions to reduce packaging requirements, improve environmental sustainability, and enhance service flexibility, all while maintaining rigorous compliance and quality standards. Through this strategy, DHL aims to support its customers in navigating complex global supply chains, reducing costs, and improving patient outcomes through reliable logistics solutions.
Transforming Healthcare Supply Chains
The expanded DHL Airfreight Cold Chain Network represents a major step forward in global healthcare logistics, combining dedicated air capacity, GDP-compliant hubs, and modern infrastructure to ensure safe, reliable transport of temperature-sensitive products. By connecting key markets, reducing reliance on third-party carriers, and investing in innovative infrastructure, DHL strengthens its ability to meet the evolving needs of pharmaceutical and healthcare customers. With patient safety, supply chain reliability, and operational efficiency at the forefront, DHL’s initiative underscores its position as a leader in Life Sciences & Healthcare logistics, delivering solutions that enable the timely and secure delivery of critical therapies around the world.
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