TIACA and Pharma.Aero to develop COVID-19 vaccine transportation guidance

The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) and Pharma.Aero have joined forces to develop global guidance for the air cargo industry to enable optimal transportation of the COVID-19 vaccine. The guidance will be developed gradually in four work packages through a joint working group to ensure feedback from all stakeholders in the supply chain of air cargo and pharmaceuticals.

Amidst the global pandemic, air freight has demonstrated once again its vital role in the global economy and distribution of essential medical supplies. In the months to come, air freight will again make an important contribution to the global public good and in fighting this pandemic by playing a vital role in the COVID-19 vaccine global supply chain.

As pharmaceutical companies race to develop the COVID-19 vaccine, it is still unclear what impact this vaccine will have on the global supply chain – specifically, logistics requirements and the air cargo industry. To address these concerns, the joint working group will bring to the table all the key industry stakeholders, including pharmaceutical manufacturers and logistics businesses.

The aim of the programme is to provide the air cargo industry with more clarity on the demands, expectations and quality of the supply chain requirements, including but not restricted to critical trade lanes, air cargo capacity, handling and storage and track and trace requirements for the transportation of the vaccines.

At the same time, shippers will gain more understanding about the capabilities of the various logistics players. This will ensure that, once the vaccine is available in the market, the air cargo industry will be ready to respond to the needs of shippers and transport vaccines in optimal conditions to all corners of the globe.

TIACA board member and Global Head of Airfreight at Flexport, Neel Jones Shah, said: “COVID-19 vaccine delivery will be one of the biggest logistical challenges in modern history. No one company can own the end-to-end vaccine supply chain. I’m proud to be a member of the TIACA and Pharma.Aero working group, which is doing the critical work of connecting all vaccine supply chain stakeholders to foster effective communication and collaboration. We need to start working together now to ensure the industry is prepared when the time comes.”   

The working group will consist of members of both organisations and will also reach out to various international organisations. The results will be shared with the industry through white papers and webinars in later stages of the programme, which aims to complete by end of 2020.