Emirates' Dubai South cargo terminal to operate as hub for COVID-19 vaccine distribution

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.” 

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.