IATA: 8,000 cargo jets needed to provide Covid-19 vaccines to the world

PanARMENIAN.Net - As global pharmaceutical companies race to complete their Covid-19 vaccine trials, the logistics that will be required to deliver them to all corners of the world are coming into focus -- and it will be a mission like no other, CNN reports.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), providing a single dose of the vaccine to 7.8 billion people will require the use of 8,000 Boeing 747 cargo aircraft -- and planning needs to begin now.

Safely delivering Covid-19 vaccines will be the mission of the century for the global air cargo industry," said IATA's director general and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, in a statement.

"We urge governments to take the lead in facilitating cooperation across the logistics chain so that the facilities, security arrangements and border processes are ready for the mammoth and complex task ahead," he added.

The air cargo industry has long played an important role in vaccine distribution, providing well-established time- and temperature-sensitive systems -- which will be crucial to the quick and efficient transport of Covid-19 vaccines, notes IATA.