In view of the approvals of various COVID-19 vaccines in many countries, Lufthansa Cargo said it is well prepared for its global distribution in the coming months.

In a statement it said that air freight is "indispensable" for the fast and reliable intercontinental distribution of highly sensitive pharmaceuticals and as such, it has prepared a variety of possible transport scenarios since spring.

"The distribution of temperature- and time-sensitive pharmaceuticals is extremely demanding. We were one of the first airlines to specialize in the transport of medical goods and pharmaceuticals and can therefore draw on many years of experience. Thanks to the recent expansion of our ground infrastructure, we can also handle larger volumes and transport them worldwide while supporting our customers to maintain the cold chain," said Peter Gerber, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo.

As Lufthansa Cargo transported around 100,000 tons of pharmaceuticals, Gerber noted that the carrier is ready once again to make another important contribution to overcoming the pandemic by distributing the vaccines worldwide.

New vaccine-focused cold-temp product

Lufthansa Cargo said while the transport of COVID-19 vaccines is already available, the company also unveiled another product specifically developed for the transport of COVID-19 vaccines called COVID-19 Temp Premium.

The carrier said this will be bookable from 11 January next year and will provide a high level of comprehensive and personalized customer service along the travel chain, including seamless monitoring of vaccine shipments throughout the entire process and a 24/7 after sales support.

"For the transport of pharmaceuticals, three temperature ranges (based on the ambient temperature) are available in airfreight: Controlled Room Temperature for shipments with transport temperature range of +15°C to +25°C, cool storage for shipments with transport temperature range of +2°C to +8°C and deep frozen storage for shipments with transport temperature range of -10°C or below," Lufthansa Cargo said.

By using special refrigerated containers and means, such as dry ice, the most diverse requirements of pharmaceutical manufacturers can be met, it added, notinhg that the carrier also has experience with transports in the ultra-frozen range (-70°C).

With its current freighter fleet of 18 aircraft, Lufthansa Cargo said it will be able to respond flexibly to shifts in demand.

"For cargo handling at airports, the necessary ground infrastructure is an important factor. Even before the pandemic, Lufthansa Cargo already invested heavily in its temperature control facilities, including the brand new Lufthansa Cargo Pharma Hub Munich as well as the recently extended and upgraded Lufthansa Cargo Pharma Center Chicago at O’Hare International Airport," Lufthansa Cargo said.

Furthermore, with its pharmaceutical hubs and up to 200 other stations with Active Temp Control or Passive Temp Support services worldwide, Lufthansa Cargo noted that it has one of the world's largest airline pharmaceutical networks — 30 of these stations are already CEIV Pharma-certified.