UAE: Dubai is Ready for the Global Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccine!
Over the last four years, Emirates SkyCargo has transported more than a quarter of a million tonnes of pharmaceutical freight, but is now planning for perhaps the biggest delivery mission in its history. As the UAE plans to serve as a central hub in the forthcoming global logistics activity, the airline has invested in new facilities planned to facilitate the global delivery of a possible Covid-19 vaccine. The first dedicated airside cargo center for the vaccine was built by Emirates SkyCargo and its Emirates SkyCentral DWC cargo terminal in Dubai South was reopened to act as an anchor center for cold chain storage and vaccine delivery.
A dedicated rapid response team has also been set up by Emirates’ freight division to organize demands from the different stakeholders participating in the international vaccine delivery ecosystem and to streamline the carrier ‘s response to demands for vaccine shipment. The vaccine center of Emirates SkyCargo in Dubai South will be the largest dedicated airside facility for Covid-19 vaccines in the country.
The Dubai hub will allow an air freight carrier to fly vaccines from global manufacturing sites, store and ready shipments for regional and global delivery. Emirates SkyCentral DWC has a licensed dedicated pharmaceutical storage area of over 4,000 square meters of temperature-controlled GDP, facilitating large-scale storage and delivery of future COVID-19 vaccines. Overall , it is estimated that about 10 million vials of vaccine can be kept in the facility at a temperature range of 2–8 degrees Celsius at any given time.
Emirates has one of the largest Cool Dollys fleets in the world to help safeguard temperature-sensitive cargo during travel between the aircraft and the cargo terminal. In addition, the proximity of the terminal to the aircraft parking gates and the provision of a large number of temperature-controlled trucking docks would ensure swift and effective clearance of cargo for further delivery, the airline said. In addition to cold storage, Emirates SkyCargo will also provide its clients with designated areas for other facilities, such as re-icing and repackaging of vaccines for worldwide delivery.
