Dive Brief:
- FedEx plans to launch a flight between Dublin, Ireland, (DUB) and Indianapolis (IND) later this month, EVP and Chief Customer Officer Brie Carere said during a Sept. 18 earnings call.
- The route will transport healthcare goods as well as other “high-value” verticals shipping between Ireland and the U.S.
- The DUB-IND route is expected to to move goods one day faster versus current options, Carere told analysts.
Dive Insight:
The air freight route aligns with FedEx’s efforts to build its healthcare portfolio in the last couple of years. Healthcare accounted for $9 billion in revenue in FY ‘25, Carere said during an earnings call in June.
Further, FedEx’s continued momentum in onboarding new healthcare business in Q1 2026 drove growth within its global air freight segment, according to an earnings presentation.
“I'll give the health care team a shout out. Almost 50% of the weight growth from a U.S. export perspective came from health care, airfreight, so our healthcare strategy is working there, too,” Carere said on last week's call.
FedEx has made several efforts to bolster its healthcare capabilities. This year, FedEx’s Global Healthcare Quality Program received a Center of Excellence for Independent Validators, or CEIV, Pharma Corporate Certification from the International Air Transport Association across its air hubs and ramps, per a May 20 press release. A CEIV Pharma Certification sets standards for transporting time sensitive and temperature-controlled pharmaceutical shipments.
FedEx’s IND hub, as well as its hub in Memphis (MEM), Tennessee, have been CEIV Pharma-certified since 2024, according to the release. U.S. facilities in North Carolina, Texas, California, Florida and New Jersey were also officially CEIV Pharma-certified in May 2025.
FedEx’s healthcare-focused moves brought in more than $500 million in quality agreements during fiscal year 2024. The carrier has also been making operational changes to support growth efforts in the healthcare sector under its Network 2.0 and DRIVE programs, as well as its Tricolor air freight initiative.
FedEx isn’t the only company targeting the healthcare logistics sector. DHL also operates a temperature-controlled air cargo service out of Indianapolis (IND), which have been used by Siemens and Eli Lilly. Rival UPS, meanwhile, hopes to double its annual healthcare revenue by 2026.
