Emirates SkyCargo has transported more than 1 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The milestone achievement took place during the past 18 months, with the first shipment made in October 2020.
Emirates said in a statement that more than 4,200 tonnes of COVID-19 vaccines, which is approximately 1 billion doses, have been moved to over 80 destinations on more than 2,000 Emirates flights. According to the airline, close to two-thirds of the 1 billion doses were transported to developing countries.
In October 2020, Emirates announced that it would be setting aside a dedicated GDP certified airside hub to transport the COVID-19 vaccine. During the same month, working with its logistics partners, the cargo division of Emirates transported trial shipments of COVID-19 vaccines through Dubai.
By April 2021, Emirates SkyCargo had already transported more than 50 million doses of the vaccine.
In June 2021, the air cargo carrier expanded its pharmaceutical cool chain infrastructure at Dubai International Airport, allowing it to store an additional estimated 60-90 million doses of the vaccine at the same time.
“From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Emirates SkyCargo has been focused on supporting global communities in their recovery from the devastating effects of the virus and we have prioritized assistance to developing countries,” Emirates divisional senior vice president, cargo Nabil Sultan said.
“The strategic location of our Dubai hub combined with the strengths of our modern fleet of widebody aircraft, our purpose-built facilities and capabilities in moving temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals allowed us to transport COVID-19 vaccines securely, reliably and rapidly from one corner of the globe to another. Ahead of World Health Day, we’re incredibly proud of our global Emirates SkyCargo team who have pulled out all stops during the pandemic to keep supply chains for essential goods like vaccines up and running,” Sultan added.