Europe’s Pharma Urgency Pushes New Cargo Routes from Munich

By Maria Kalamatas | July 16, 2025

Munich, July 16 — European pharmaceutical logistics providers are racing to establish fresh air cargo links between Munich and mid-sized cities in Eastern Europe and North Africa, responding to surging demand for temperature-sensitive vaccines and treatments.

“Our pharma clients need guaranteed 24-hour delivery within Europe, and even as far as Rabat,” said Klaus Meier, logistics head at MediTrans GmbH. “Traditional routes via Frankfurt or Paris no longer meet our speed requirements.”

Demand leaps ahead of winter season

With vaccine programs ramping up and COVID-19 booster campaigns underway, shippers are seeking faster transit between production hubs and medical centers. Last week, volumes from Munich to Budapest, Bucharest, and Rabat rose by 28%, data from EuroCargo shows.

“We’ve added two weekly freighters,” Meier explained. “Demand is climbing faster than capacity can keep up.”

Airlines adapt to pharma priority

Lufthansa Cargo and ASL Airlines France are activating temp-controlled pods on existing passenger routes, while smaller players like CargoLogicAir are launching dedicated freighters for medical shipments.

“We had to retrofit two Boeing 737s on short notice for vaccine freighting,” said Marie Dubois, planning director at ASL. “It’s tight—but performance is more important than profit margins.”

Airports feeling the strain

Munich’s new pharma corridor means around 10–12 extra truck movements daily. Ramp handling teams are extending shifts, and ground power units are being reallocated. Munich Airport now dedicates a full terminal zone to pharma cargo only.

“We’re rolling out new chill-cell storage areas, but we still face peak-hour stacking issues,” admitted airport operator Sophie Lang.

Outlook and network growth

Experts expect this trend to peak through autumn as flu and COVID campaigns coincide. For logistics providers, the opportunity is clear—but scaling infrastructure quickly remains the central challenge.