Russian freight carrier AirBridgeCargo Airlines is to boost transportation options for Basel’s thriving healthcare industry with the launch of a new scheduled link into the Swiss city this month. The carrier, part of the Volga-Dnepr Airlines Group, will add a weekly rotation between Moscow Sheremetyevo and Basel from September 19, 2014.

Basel has one of the highest concentrations of successful life sciences businesses in the world, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical technology organisations and this new link will provide a fast and reliable link into Russia and Asia for customers in the industry as well as the other industries that have grown up to support the healthcare market in Switzerland.

“The healthcare industry relies strongly on the speed of air cargo and its ability to maintain the integrity of products through strict temperature-control services,” said Robert van de Weg, Senior VP Marketing and Sales, AirBridgeCargo Airlines. This new route and the connections we can offer will facilitate further growth between both regions.”

These connection opportunities will enable less than 48-hour connections on transportation from Basel to major cities in Asia, including Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Zhengzhou, Chengdu, Seoul, and Tokyo.

With a yearly tonnage compound growth rate of 39 per cent, AirBridgeCargo is one of the fastest-growing cargo carriers in the world. It connects the world’s largest cargo flows between Asia and Europe and the United States via is Moscow hub with a fleet of 12 Boeing 747s. Each aircraft’s four cargo compartments can be adjusted to a temperature between 4 and 29 degrees Celsius, therefore ensuring safe and reliable transportation for high-value pharmaceutical goods.