AirBridgeCargo Airlines operated its first COVID-19 vaccine transportation from Beijing with Boeing 747F aircraft, in partnership with UPS and Marken.

A total of 6000 doses of the Ad5-nCoV vaccine, weighing around 400kg, were packed into CRĒDO XTREME passive temperature-controlled shipping containers, loaded into AKE containers and delivered under 2-8C.

The vaccines will be part of clinical trials the manufacturer conducts in various countries around the world. 

“After months of preparations, we are actually stepping into the COVID-19 vaccine transportation phase to deliver these sophisticated pharmaceutical products the whole world relies on as a source which will help all of us to get back to normal. Thanks to the dedication and commitment of our APAC and Global Healthcare Team the first transportation went smoothly and we are ready to leverage the stable flows,” said Casper Pan, head of healthcare APAC (ABC) and a dedicated Vaccine Task Force within Volga-Dnepr Group.

ABC, which has successfully reconfirmed its CEIV IATA certification last year,  said together with other carriers within Volga-Dnepr Group, it has been strengthening its capabilities in the healthcare sector and vaccine transportations, including through regular shipments of other vaccines, as well as vaccine-related shipments (equipment, vials, injections, etc) which are essential for vaccine production.

The company has also aligned regular communications with all the stakeholders to exchange experience and best practice, learn from peers and guarantee safe and efficient transportation of vaccines across the globe.