Delhi, Hyderabad Airport's Cargo Systems Ready For COVID-19 Vaccine Transportation

NEW DELHI: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the COVID vaccine could be ready within a few weeks, Hyderabad and Delhi Airports' sophisticated air cargo systems are geared up for the transport of the COVID-19 vaccine across the country.

As per ANI reports, the Delhi airport has two cargo terminals with world-class infrastructure that provides a GDP (Good Distribution Practice)-a certified temperature-controlled facility for handling temperature-sensitive cargo. With the capacity to handle over 1.5 lakh metric tonne cargo per annum, the Delhi airport facility has state-of-the-art temperature-controlled zones with separate cool chambers ranging from -20 degrees to 25 degrees Celsius, which would be extremely conducive for the distribution of the COVID 19 vaccines.

Apart from the cool chamber, it also has cool dollies at the airside that ensure an unbroken cool chain during temperature-sensitive cargo movement between terminal and aircraft.

“The terminals have separate gates dedicated for fast movement of vehicles carrying vaccines in and out of the airport. In line with the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s vision to create metro airports as transshipment hubs, the Delhi airport has set up a dedicated Transshipment Excellence Centre spread over an area of 6,500 square m at the airside that will help in the fast movement of vaccines through transshipment,” the Delhi airport stated.

The QR code-based e-Gate Pass facility at Delhi airport will provide an automated process for paper documentation and reduce human interface, thereby making the fast movement of imported vaccine deliveries.

Meanwhile, GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo  (GHAC) has also said they are ready to handle and transport COVID-19 vaccines with facilities such as modern temperature-sensitive pharma and vaccine storage and processing zones.  GHAC located at the centre of one of the vaccine production regions in the country will play a crucial role in the distribution of coronavirus vaccines.

The Hyderabad airport also recently launched the latest cool dollies to eliminate any temperature excursions and to maintain the unbroken cool chain.