Ethiopian Airlines Group said it has transported 3.5 Milliondoses of the COVID-19 vaccine from Shanghai to São Paulo, Brazil, via Addis Ababa. So far, Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services have transported over 20 Millionvaccines to more than 20 countries, according to the airline.
Mr Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines said: “As a leading pan African airline, we joined the fight against the pandemic since the outbreak of the virus. Our commitment to fighting against the pandemic and saving lives has been unwavering in Africa and beyond. I feel that our efficient and timely delivery of vaccines would save millions of lives that could have been lost due to lack of access to vaccines. We are devoted to transporting vaccines globally with our modern fleet, well-established infrastructure and diligent employees. I am glad that we have started to reach beyond Africa and we will continue to play our part in the global vaccine distribution. Our collaborative efforts are the only way out at this critical time where equitable distribution and transportation of the vaccines is desirable.’’
Ethiopian Airlines said it has beefed up its cargo shipment capacity by reconfiguring its passenger aircraft and introducing new technologies. The airline has become the choice of cargo partners as a result of its agility, capability to store and carry time-sensitive shipments such as pharmaceuticals. It played an exemplary role in the distribution of PPE across the globe which led to the selection of Addis Ababa Bole International Airport as a humanitarian air hub by UN agencies.
The airline said it is developing an in-house dry ice manufacturing facility that is capable of producing 9,000kg of ice daily to fulfil the need for additional coolants for vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech & Moderna that require an ultra-cold environment for transport.