Emirates SkyCargo has announced that it has crossed a major milestone in the global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines with 600 million doses flown on its flights, including more than 15 million doses to Australia and New Zealand combined. Since October 2020, the carrier has transported more than 2.8 million kilograms (2800 tonnes) of COVID-19 vaccines from 35 origins to over 80 destinations.
“Emirates SkyCargo remains committed to the rapid distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to vulnerable communities around the world. When we formulated our COVID-19 distribution strategy in 2020, Emirates SkyCargo prioritised the movement of COVID-19 vaccines through our Dubai hub to developing countries. I’m happy to announce that nearly two-thirds of the total vaccines we transported were headed to destinations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. With our extensive reach across six continents, our wide-body capacity and expertise in cool chain logistics, Emirates SkyCargo will continue to be a reliable partner for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the months to come,” said Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo.
With the increasing roll-out of vaccination and booster campaigns across global markets, Emirates SkyCargo witnessed a steady increase in the demand for transportation of COVID-19 vaccines in the second half of 2021. In October and November 2021 alone, Emirates SkyCargo moved more than 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, almost one-third of the total COVID-19 vaccines transported by the carrier since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key highlights of Emirates SkyCargo’s COVID-19 vaccine transportation programme
- Close to 2.8 million kilograms (2800 tonnes) of vaccines transported on Emirates flights, equivalent to nearly 600 million doses since October 2020
- Vaccines have flown from 35 origins to 80 destinations across six continents
- 7 million- the most number of COVID-19 vaccine doses moved on a single flight
- Asia (185 million doses), Africa (150 million doses) and the Middle East (70 million doses) continue to be priority markets for vaccine delivery
- North America and Europe are the main origin regions for COVID-19 vaccines for Emirates SkyCargo
- Emirates SkyCargo’s GDP certified pharma terminal in Chicago has handled more than 160 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines flown from the US to countries around the world.
Emirates SkyCargo has been a key global player in the air distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and other relief materials and essential commodities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The air cargo carrier offers sophisticated cool chain solutions for pharmaceutical cargo with Emirates Pharma- a specialised three-tiered air transportation product designed for temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals and backed by Emirates’ state of the art GDP certified pharma infrastructure at its cargo hub in Dubai. In June 2021, Emirates SkyCargo expanded its pharma cool chain infrastructure at Dubai International Airport, allowing it to store an additional estimated 60-90 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
Emirates SkyCargo offers cargo capacity on more than 2,800 weekly flights connecting more than 140 destinations across six continents.
Edited by: Stephen Morton
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