Emirates' Dubai South cargo terminal to operate as hub for COVID-19 vaccine distribution
Hub has in place all cold storage facilities needed to stock and deliver medicines
Dubai: The Emirates SkyCentral DWC cargo terminal in Dubai South has opened and will serve as an anchor hub for cold chain storage and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The freight division of Emirates has also set up a dedicated rapid response team to coordinate requests from various partners to streamline the carrier’s response to vaccine transportation requests. “Dubai is well-positioned to serve as a gateway and distribution hub for COVID-19 vaccines to the rest of the world," said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates.
"We have the infrastructure and logistics connections, and a geographic location that puts markets representing more than two-thirds of the world’s population within an 8-hour flying radius.”
Pharma-specs
Emirates SkyCentral DWC has over 4,000 square metres of temperature controlled GDP certified dedicated pharma storage area allowing for large scale storage and distribution of the potential COVID-19 vaccines. Overall, it is estimated that the facility can hold around 10 million vials of vaccine at a 2-8 degrees Celsius temperature range at any one point of time.
In addition to cold storage, Emirates SkyCargo will also offer dedicated zones for services such as re-icing and repackaging of vaccines for global distribution for its customers. Through a combination of scheduled and charter flights, the cargo carrier will then be able to fly the vaccines to markets where they will be most needed.