SpiceJet Cargo Arm Gears Up for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Dec. 2—NEW DELHI — No-frills carrier SpiceJet Limited on Wednesday said its cargo arm SpiceXpress is ready to transport covid-19 vaccines for distribution through specialized service called Spice Pharma Pro.

The Gurgaon-based airline, which has transported 85,000 tons of cargo since March, said it has tied up with cold chain logistic companies for transportation of vaccines, and also offers cargo shipment service with controlled ambient temperatures ranging from -40°C to +25°C for transporting vaccines that require ultra cold storage.

SpiceJet added that the airline's network provides non-stop connectivity to major international destinations for vaccine transportation, apart from real-time tracking with temperature and humidity sensors.

"We have now tied up with global leaders in cold chain solutions offering active and passive packaging with dedicated equipment to perform seamless cold chain operations and I am happy to share that today SpiceXpress has the capability to transport extremely sensitive drugs and vaccines in controlled temperatures ranging from -40°C to +25°C," SpiceJet's chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said in the statement.

SpiceXpress has a dedicated fleet of 17 cargo aircraft, which includes Boeing 737s, Bombardier Q400s, and a wide body Airbus A340 plane, which are capable of flying to several domestic and international destinations.

The airline is also offering a network of warehouses equipped with deep freezers to enable change of cool packs, ground vehicles and containers to help transport sensitive cargo.

"SpiceXpress is ready for the enormous task of distributing sensitive goods both domestically and internationally including Covid-19 vaccines that require stringent transportation conditions," Singh added in the statement.

So far, four major vaccine developers have announced the results of their late-stage trials, including Pfizer, Moderna, Oxford-AstraZeneca and Russia's Sputnik V, raising hopes that a vaccine will hit the market soon.

Researchers have estimated that over 15,000 flights would be needed to ensure the quick global distribution of a covid-19 vaccine sometime next year. Swift movement of cold storage equipment, medical devices and personnel might require many more flights.

"To ensure global coverage for the next two years, some 200,000 movements by pallet shippers on 15,000 flights may be needed. In downstream distribution, accommodating the stringent temperature requirements will be even more challenging," according to a 20 September DHL white paper, titled 'Delivering Pandemic Resilience'.

SpiceJet's rival airlines like IndiGo are also considering launching dedicated freighter services amid an expected surge in cargo transportation, particularly to transport the covid-19 vaccine, once it is available in the market. The airline has already held preliminary discussions with European aircraft manufacturers Airbus SE on the type of freighters that could be possibly put into service for dedicated freighter flights.

The GMR Group, which operates airports at New Delhi and Hyderabad, has set up temperature-controlled zones ranging from 25°C to -20°C for storage of vaccines. Both these airports can currently handle about 1.5 lakh metric tonne per annum load at each of their facilities.

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