DHL Group has announced it will expand its dedicated Airfreight Cold Chain Network to strengthen its Life Sciences & Healthcare (LSH) logistics capabilities
The company said in a statement that the move is designed to "reshape how temperature-sensitive medicines, vaccines, pharmaceutical products and cell & gene therapies move across the world."
The global network is a key part of DHL's €2bn strategic investment in DHL Health Logistics, providing customers with complete end-to-end visibility for sensitive healthcare products and meeting the evolving logistics needs of the world's largest healthcare and pharmaceutical companies.
"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, they're looking for ways to simplify supply chains and reduce costs."
Our expanded network brings together DHL Aviation's global air connectivity, our GDP-compliant station network and our major investments in modern, temperature-controlled facilities.
"The result is a more resilient, more efficient logistics backbone for customers who depend on flawless quality to deliver critical therapies to patients."
DHL states that it enhances product integrity and temperature control during transit by decreasing dependence on third-party carriers and commercial airlines.
This strategy strengthens supply chain resilience amid geopolitical tensions, capacity shortages and increasingly complex regulations.
The expansion increases capacity for temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical and medical shipments, connecting key markets through more than 30 Good Distribution Practice (GDP)-compliant aviation hubs and gateways.
The network will initially connect major DHL hubs, including Brussels (BRU) and Cincinnati (CVG). Additional routes will be added across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America in the future.
The BRU-CVG corridor links the US Midwest, which is home to leading pharmaceutical companies, directly to one of Europe's most advanced life sciences ecosystems.
By avoiding coastal congestion, this route provides a seamless, temperature-controlled pathway for high-value biologics and time-sensitive cell and gene therapies.
At the Brussels end, the route is backed by 45,000 square meters of pharma-only zones at BRUcargo, ensuring clinical-grade integrity throughout the entire process.
This infrastructure creates a robust connection between two of the world's most significant healthcare markets.
Countries prioritised for further expansion of the Airfreight Cold Chain Network include India, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, the United States, Germany and Ireland.
To support the expanded network, DHL has introduced a dedicated Boeing 777 freighter operating between Brussels and Cincinnati.
The aircraft, which features the new "DHL Health Logistics" livery, serves as a visible marker of the company's strategic focus on healthcare logistics.
The dedicated routing provides consistent, controlled capacity on a crucial pharmaceutical lane, ensuring reliability and temperature management for sensitive shipments.
While the branding emphasises the significance of this sector, the company stated that the aircraft’s operational role will enhance the foundation of DHL's expanding health logistics network.