[ad_1]
SINGAPORE – Singapore Airlines (SIA) will prioritize mass shipments of Covid-19 vaccines to and through Singapore when available.
The airline will also conduct test flights for the transport of test vaccines “soon”, similar to what airlines in Belgium and the United States are doing.
“SIA will make cargo space available on its flights and will give higher priority to Covid-19 vaccine shipments through key vaccine trade routes,” SIA said on Saturday (December 5), noting that it will prioritize its ability to vaccines.
“This means preparing the Boeing 747-400 freighters, as well as the fleet of passenger aircraft that will be deployed in cargo operations to increase vaccine transport capacity where needed,” the airline said in a statement.
It has signed agreements with cold chain container suppliers to ensure access to sufficient temperature controlled containers when it begins to transport large volumes of vaccines.
A cold chain refers to the process in which a temperature-sensitive product is maintained in a desired end-to-end low temperature range during transportation and storage.
At a media event at Changi Airport on Saturday morning (December 5), SIA Senior Vice President of Cargo Chin Yau Seng said: “We have been in talks with some of the vaccine manufacturers and they are open to the idea. We are working out the details of the tests, so you can expect that in time. “
Such test flights do not necessarily need to be conducted with the actual Covid-19 vaccine on board.
Instead, it can be done with sensors and the vaccine packaging to monitor how your temperature is managed throughout the journey.
“Of course if we have the (vaccine), it’s even better. They’re working on those details,” Chin said.
A range of active tracking devices have also been certified for use on board SIA aircraft to allow vaccine producers and logistics providers to track shipments.
Outside of its aircraft, SIA is working with its ground services partner Sats to ensure that the Singapore air hub is ready to handle and store large volumes of pharmaceutical shipments effectively.
“We have worked hard to ensure that we are prepared for one of the biggest and most important supply chain challenges of our generation, the transportation and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines around the world,” Chin said.
“We will continue to increase our capacity to handle pharmaceutical products by investing in our (cold chain) service and expanding our network of pharmaceutical quality brokers.”
[ad_2]
