FAA Releases SAFO on Transportation of COVID-19 Vaccines Requiring Large Quantities of Dry Ice

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently released a safety alert for operators (SAFO) regarding the use of dry ice.

As COVID-19 vaccines begin being distributed, a large amount of dry ice will be required to safely transport the temperature-sensitive cargo. SAFO 20017, released last week, "provides information and recommendations to persons conducting operations under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulation (14 CFR) Parts 121, 125, 129, 135 on safety issues related to the transportation of COVID-19 vaccines by air, which may require larger than typical quantities of dry ice for preservation."  

Among the recommended action, the FAA suggests that operators with an approved Safety Management System (SMS) perform safety risk assessments in accordance with their SMS and operators without an accepted SMS should conduct a safety analysis and apply appropriate risk mitigations.

To read the the SAFO in its entirety, visit: https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/media/2020/SAFO20017.pdf?utm_source=Swift%20Digital&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Airworthiness%20Directives