Since the first trial shipment in October 2020, Emirates SkyCargo has handled more than 4,200 tonnes of vaccines, moving them to over 80 destinations on more than 2,000 flights.
In August 2020, Emirates SkyCargo worked out the logistics of moving the vaccines and in October, a dedicated GDP certified airside hub for Covid-19 vaccines was established.
That month, working with its logistics partners, the first trial shipments were transported through Dubai.
In January 2021, Emirates SkyCargo teamed up with other Dubai-based companies to form the Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance to speed up the distribution of vaccines through Dubai to developing countries.
In February 2021, Emirates SkyCargo signed an MoU with UNICEF to transport and deliver vaccines in support of the COVAX initiative and by early April 2021, the airline had transported more than 50 million doses.
Infrastructure at Dubai International Airport was upgraded in June 2021 so Emirates SkyCargo could store an additional 60-90 million doses at any one time.
Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President for Cargo says: “The strategic location of our Dubai hub combined with the strengths of our modern fleet of widebody aircraft, our purpose built facilities and capabilities in moving temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals allowed us to transport Covid-19 vaccines securely, reliably and rapidly from one corner of the globe to another.”