George Edmunds, GM Cargo Commercial Cathay Pacific Cargo:
“We have just hit a significant milestone and it’s one we’re very proud of. In July last year, we started looking in detail at the logistics of handling COVID-19 vaccines as news about their development was emerging.
“That set off a collaborative effort across the business, from our Products and Services teams to our Cargo Terminal as we worked on a bespoke Vaccine Solution – and then coordinated with our regional sales teams to make this available across the globe.
“It’s been wonderful to see all this work come to fruition. We have continued to expand our capabilities with our own tracking solution, Ultra Track, as well as working with our container partners to ensure we have the right equipment to handle the different requirements of each vaccine as they have come to market – as well as flying pre-release shipments for medical trials. And we have worked hard with our airline partners to widen our global reach, interlining these vital shipments across the world.
“So, slightly more than one year on, we are very proud to have shipped 50 million COVID-19 vaccines so far. It’s been a remarkable collaborative effort and we have a real sense of pride, because these vaccine shipments represent more than ‘cargo’ – these vaccines are the key to unlocking international travel.
“The global response to the pandemic has at times been disjointed, but it is becoming clear that vaccination will be a necessary and recognised standard to fully reopen borders.
“Closer to home, we are proud to have imported the majority of vaccines to our home hub in Hong Kong, which paves the way for a return to normality here – as long as we can get our vaccination numbers up.
“Equally, we are proud of the global role we are playing in distributing vaccines to developing countries through the COVAX initiative, and through the Chinese Mainland’s vaccine exports to Latin America and South East Asia. Fifty million doses down: let’s hope for 50 million more, so that we can all be safe, healthy and ready to return to the skies”.
