Air Canada Cargo is modernizing its Toronto facility with expanded temperature-controlled zones and digital workflows to support pharmaceutical and healthcare shipments, reports London's Air Cargo Week.

The carrier has equipped its hub with larger cold chain facilities and integrated workstations inside controlled zones, allowing shipments to move from acceptance to release without exposure to ambient conditions.

Air Canada Cargo maintains IATA CEIV and GDP certifications for pharmaceutical handling, with staff trained in procedural controls, documentation and temperature monitoring. Internal engineering oversight supports process integrity.

Managing director Janet Wallace said employees can handle freight entirely within the controlled environment, including forklift operations and acceptance tasks. She added that industrial engineers have mapped handling processes to strengthen compliance.

The modernization strategy includes replacing ageing mechanical systems, introducing warehouse automation and developing a digital ecosystem to reduce paper-based delays. Artificial intelligence is being integrated at shipment acceptance to identify special handling needs.

The carrier is also deploying smart tracking for unit load devices to improve asset visibility across its network. Continuous monitoring tools are under review to reduce risk during transfers between aircraft stands and cold chain areas.

Air Canada Cargo plans to scale its Toronto warehouse management model to other self-handled locations, aiming to standardize service levels and streamline digital workflows.

Ms Wallace said the company is focused on reducing inbound dwell times and building a connected digital architecture to ensure real-time visibility across operations.