Emirates SkyCargo, in its preparedness to handle the logistical complexities of distributing COVID-19 vaccine globally, is creating ‘the world’s first dedicated airside cargo hub’ for the vaccine in Dubai.
The air cargo carrier said it will be re-opening its Emirates SkyCentral DWC cargo terminal in Dubai South which will serve as a dedicated anchor hub for cold chain storage and distribution of the vaccine.
It has also set up a dedicated rapid response team to coordinate requests from the various entities involved in the international vaccine distribution ecosystem and to streamline the its response to vaccine transportation requests.
Emirates SkyCargo’s vaccine hub in Dubai South will be the largest dedicated airside facility in the world for COVID-19 vaccines, the cargo arm of Emirates said.
The Dubai hub will allow the air cargo carrier to fly in vaccines from manufacturing sites globally, store and prepare shipments for regional and global distribution.
The facility 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.
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.
