Passenger jets will be able to transport coronavirus vaccines at the required ultra-low temperatures as long as they are stored in specially-made containers, according to Europe’s biggest cargo-only airline.
No plane, not even a purpose-built freighter, would otherwise be able to keep inoculations at the -80°C specified by Pfizer for its shot, according to Cargolux Airlines International chief executive Richard Forson. That would make shipment in custom-designed boxes the only viable option, he said on Thursday.
“The container itself can remain at ambient temperature because it’s protected on the inside,” he said in a London Aviation Club webinar, adding that capacity won’t be an issue. “All the passenger aircraft in the world will be mobilised to transport these vaccines,” he said.
Pfizer and German partner BioNTech delivered the most promising news yet about a potential Covid-19 vaccine earlier this week, when a study showed their shot prevented more than 90 per cent of symptomatic infections in the trial of tens of thousands of volunteers. While the product remains in clinical trials, attention is already turning to how a proven dose can be manufactured and transported at the quantities needed to inoculate most of the world.
One potential obstacle may be that bottlenecks appear elsewhere in the supply chain, Mr Forson said, since Pfizer has said the box carrying the vaccine will have only a 10-day lifespan. It can also be opened no more than twice for a maximum period of one minute at a time, he added.
“The shortest part of the lifespan of that vaccine is going to be on board our aircraft, and we are quite used to flying pharmaceuticals around,” he said. “The important thing is the last mile, getting it to the hospital or clinic where it’s going to be used.”
The best solution would be for the vaccine to be manufactured in as many locations as possible, “rather than producing billions and flying them around the world”, he said.
Even then, storage will be a huge challenge, according to Mr Forson, whose Luxembourg-based company operates a global warehousing and road-feeder network in addition its 30-strong fleet of Boeing 747 freighters.
“You have to have the cooling capacity,” he said. “In the West they can maybe afford to acquire such equipment. If you look at Africa, South America and other developing countries, you have to ask how they’re going to store it.”
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
Meydan race card
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Meydan Racecourse racecard:
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes Listed (PA) | Dh175,000 | 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden for 2-year-old fillies (TB) | Dh165,000 | 1,400m
7.40pm: The Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) | Dh265,000 | 1,600m
8.15pm: Maiden for 2-year-old colts (TB) | Dh165,000 | 1,600m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) | Dh265,000 | 2,000m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh190,000 | 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh190,000 | 1,600m.
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
