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DHL strengthens critical pharma trade lane

[ February 19, 2026   //   ]

DHL Group has strengthened its life sciences and healthcare capabilities with an expanded dedicated Airfreight Cold Chain Network. It will first connect the major DHL hubs of Cincinnati and Brussels, with further routes in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America to follow.

To support the expanded network, DHL has introduced a dedicated Boeing 777 freighter operating between Brussels and Cincinnati that features the new DHL Health Logistics livery. Its dedicated routing provides consistent, controllable capacity on one of the most critical pharma lanes.

The US Midwest is home to leading pharma companies while Brussels lies at the heart of  Europe’s most advanced life sciences network and the new route provides a seamless, temperature-controlled pathway for high-value biologics and time-critical cell and gene therapies.

In Brussels, the route is supported by 45,000sq m of pharma-only zones at the BRUcargo hub.

Countries prioritized for further expansion of the Network include India, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, other locations in the US, Germany, and Ireland.

DHL says that, by reducing reliance on third-party carriers and commercial airlines, it can improve product integrity and temperature control throughout the journey while increasing supply chain resilience.

Chief executive of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight, Oscar de Bok, said: “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. 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.”

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