Category Archives: International

FedEx Express Canada with Innomar Strategies started Canada’s first operations to distribute the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine across the country on behalf of the Government of Canada from December 24, when the first shipment arrived at the FedEx Express Canada hub in Toronto. Part of this initial shipment will continue onwards to the territories to facilitate vaccine distribution in Canada’s northern regions. The vaccine roll-out will be facilitated by the vast FedEx Express Canada network, utilising the specialised, cold-chain storage and packaging capabilities of Innomar Strategies, a part of AmerisourceBergen and a leading patient support provider in the Canadian specialty pharmaceutical market. The arrival of the vaccine from Brussels, Belgium, occurred within 48-hours of Health Canada’s approval, a key logistical requirement from the federal government. Meeting the deadline was made possible by extensive collaboration with the government of Canada to move more vaccines from Europe into the country. The delivery of the first Moderna Covid-19 vaccine is notable as it will be the first vaccine to arrive in the Northwest territories. The Canadian roll-out comes shortly after the FedEx network started delivering both the Pfizer-BioNTech and later the Moderna vaccines across the US, beginning mid-December. FedEx is well-positioned to handle Covid-19 vaccine shipments around the world with temperature-control solutions, near real-time monitoring capabilities, and a dedicated healthcare team to support the express transportation of vaccines and bioscience shipments. Innomar will safely and securely store the vaccines in its GMP-compliant Canadian storage facilities across Canada. The storage facilities—which are equipped to store complex pharmaceutical products, including those with cold chain requirements—are temperature-controlled and have a validated monitoring system to protect the vaccine shipments. Before the vaccines are shipped, teams will put them …

Emirates SkyCargo has successfully transport the Brazilian satellite Amazonia-1 from Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil to Chennai, India. This is the first time that Emirates SkyCargo has transported a space satellite from South America. The satellite is due to be sent to space in February 2021 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on the East coast of India. Emirates SkyCargo had to undertake extensive preparations for this charter flight to ensure the safe and secure transport of the satellite. The air cargo carrier had to apply for special permission to operate a Boeing 777 freighter from Sao Jose dos Campos airport to uplift the satellite. Emirates SkyCargo together with the INPE, the airport and local partners conducted two comprehensive simulation sessions ahead of the transport date to be able to transport the sensitive cargo safely from the airport. During the transportation process, the Amazonia-1 satellite was dismantled into multiple components to facilitate easy loading and unloading from the aircraft. The satellite components were packed inside large containers to avoid any damage during the transport. Overall, the total cargo weighed around 22 tonnes. Four members of the team from INPE also travelled with the satellite to continuously monitor the status of the cargo during the flight from Sao Jose dos Campos to Dubai and then onwards to Chennai, India. Emirates SkyCargo has expertise in transporting satellites and other cargo developed for space technology. In 2018, the carrier transported Khalifasat, the first satellite developed completely by Emirati engineers at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre from Dubai to Seoul. Amazonia-1 is the first satellite to have been developed completely in Brazil by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Brazil’s apex body …

With Covid-19 vaccinations starting in Germany, Dachser is stepping up to organise vaccine logistics in the German capital on behalf of the Berlin Senate. Working on behalf of the Berlin Senate, Dachser will manage the vaccine supplies upon their delivery to the central vaccine warehouse. It will also undertake daily quality-assured deliveries to Berlin’s six vaccination centers, eleven hospital pharmacies, and up to sixty mobile vaccination teams. The requisite vaccine equipment will be supplied from a warehouse operated by the logistics provider. “We’ve been working in close collaboration with the Berlin Senate since July this year to store personal protective equipment and rapid coronavirus tests and distribute these to healthcare facilities in the city,” says Olaf Schmidt, General Manager of Dachser’s Berlin-Brandenburg logistics center in Schönefeld. “We’re pleased to be providing our logistics expertise to support this supply chain that is so important for society.”

DB Schenker and Cargolux announced a new full charter cargo connection between Luxembourg and Indianapolis, USA, starting in January 2021. With this new agreement both partners expand their well-established 15 year-long partnership. Cargolux’s initial service between its home base in Luxembourg and the Indiana capital was inaugurated in 2005 to support DB Schenker’s business in the region. The successful collaboration has grown over the years and is now cemented through this charter solution. With weekly departures on a Boeing 747 freighter DB Schenker makes Cargolux’s extensive experience in the handling of pharmaceutical and healthcare goods available for its customers in Europe and Northern America. By partnering with the leading provider of transportation services for pharmaceutical and healthcare products and the airline that was, in 2014, the first to be GDP certified, DB Schenker reaches a milestone in setting up its new healthcare service portfolio DB SCHENKERlife+. Veronique Dameme, Head of Global Vertical Market Healthcare at DB Schenker, says, “Our new product portfolio DB SCHENKERlife+ offers exceptional quality, unconditional security and fully reliable logistics services. The cooperation with Cargolux expands the foundation for our robust global GDP program and customized services as Air Track, 24/7 monitoring, packaging supplies or telemetric devices. In such volatile times DB SCHENKERlife+ thus provides urgently needed transparency and predictability.” “Cargolux is pleased to launch this new weekly charter service in collaboration with DB Schenker. Both companies have enjoyed a fruitful and mutually beneficial partnership on this lane over the past 15 years and we are happy to expand on this success”, says Domenico Ceci, Executive Vice- President Sales & Marketing, Cargolux. With pharma handling expertise throughout its network and a dedicated Healthcare Center in Luxembourg, Cargolux is the …

SpiceJet has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pluss Advanced Technologies (PLUSS) for the supply of indigenously developed precise temperature control boxes required for maintaining the effectiveness of the vaccine during transport. According to the MoU, PLUSS will supply its patented product – Celsure®, developed using its proprietary Phase Change Material technology, for transportation of the Covid-19 vaccines from the manufacturer to different parts of the country. The product will be co-branded especially for SpiceJet’s cargo division Spice Xpress and will be made available at various locations across the country. While transporting pharmaceutical products, biological products or vaccines in particular, the need to maintain precise temperature ranges is very important and the efficacy of vaccines can be impacted if the temperature goes above or below the specified range. PLUSS, an India based material solutions company has designed and manufactured a precise temperature-control delivery solution that is required for vaccine delivery to the last mile. “At PLUSS, we have been continuously working towards playing our role in getting India ready to effectively combat the COVID-19 pandemic, once the vaccine is approved for use. We are particularly happy to join forces with SpiceJet to ensure the delivery of the vaccine using the safest and fastest mode. SpiceJet flies to many non-metro locations and that will help the vaccine reach to the rural hinterlands of India,” says Samit Jain, MD, PLUSS. “Pluss has been a pioneer in ‘Phase Change Material’ based temperature control solutions in India and will be the appropriate partner as we plan on moving the temperature sensitive Covid-19 vaccines across the country. Spice Xpress has the biggest cargo fleet with more than 17 flights. We can cover …

Emirates SkyCargo has flown COVID-19 vaccines, manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, to the UAE for the first time for the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). On arrival at DXB, the containers with the vaccines were unloaded on priority from the aircraft and then taken to Emirates SkyCargo’s dedicated pharma facility Emirates SkyPharma to await clearance for delivery. Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior, Vice President, Cargo says, “At Emirates SkyCargo we are doing our part to join Dubai’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the effective management of the pandemic by Dubai’s visionary leadership, the city has retained its position as a global logistical hub for connecting vital cargo including PPE, medical supplies, vaccines, food and other essential items. Emirates SkyCargo has set up the world’s largest airside hub dedicated to distributing COVID-19 vaccines and we stand ready to support not just Dubai, but countries around the world, including markets with limited cool chain infrastructure with our advanced capabilities. By transporting COVID-19 vaccines across our extensive network, we look forward to helping people around the world get back on their feet after the devastating impact of the pandemic.” Emirates SkyCargo is no stranger to transporting vaccines and other temperature sensitive pharmaceutical cargo. The carrier has more than two decades experience in transporting pharmaceuticals on its aircraft and has set up state of the art EU GDP certified facilities dedicated for storing and handling pharma cargo in Dubai. Emirates SkyCargo has also established a global Pharma Corridors programme working with ground handlers and local airports at major pharma origin and destination stations for enhanced cool chain protection. The current pharma network covers over 30 cities across the world including Brussels.

In view of the approvals of various COVID-19 vaccines in many countries, Lufthansa Cargo has announced that the cargo carrier is well prepared for their global distribution in the coming months. Air freight is indispensable for the fast and reliable intercontinental distribution of highly sensitive pharmaceuticals. Therefore, a dedicated task force has prepared a variety of possible transport scenarios since spring. “The distribution of temperature- and time-sensitive pharmaceuticals is extremely demanding. We were one of the first airlines to specialise in the transport of medical goods and pharmaceuticals and can therefore draw on many years of experience. Thanks to the recent expansion of our ground infrastructure, we can also handle larger volumes and transport them worldwide while supporting our customers to maintain the cold chain,” explained Peter Gerber, CEO, Lufthansa Cargo. “In 2019, we transported around 100,000 tonnes of pharmaceuticals. We are ready to make another important contribution to overcoming the pandemic by distributing the vaccines worldwide.” While the transport of COVID-19 vaccines is already available with Lufthansa Cargo the company now announced a premium product to its customers that was specifically developed for the transport of COVID-19 vaccines. The product called COVID-19 Temp Premium will be bookable as of January 11, 2021 and will provide a high level of comprehensive and personalized customer service along the travel chain, including seamless monitoring of vaccine shipments throughout the entire process and a 24/7 after sales support. Additionally, COVID-19 Temp Premium includes high priority capacity access, Lufthansa Cargo’s fastest speed option in combination with temperature focus and a comprehensive security concept as well as bookability throughout the entire Lufthansa Cargo network. For the transport of pharmaceuticals, three temperature ranges (based on the …

Singapore based GIC and ESR Cayman have entered into an 80:20 strategic partnership to establish a US$750 million joint venture to develop and acquire industrial and logistics assets in India. The JV will develop and own institutional-grade, state-of-the-art industrial and logistics facilities as well as acquire core assets, focusing on Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities across India and will be seeded with a ~2.2 million sq. ft build-to-core asset, located in close proximity to the large consumption hubs of Mumbai and Thane. Lee Kok Sun, Chief Investment Officer of Real Estate, GIC, says, “We are pleased to establish this Joint Venture with ESR, a leading integrated logistics platform, to develop and acquire high-quality industrial and logistics assets in prime locations in India. GIC has been investing in India for more than a decade, and this investment is a testament to our confidence in the long-term potential of this market.” Kishore Gotety, Co-Head (Asia ex-China) of Real Estate, GIC, states, “Continued e-commerce growth in India over the long term, reinforced by rising internet penetration, is expected to drive strong demand for industrial and logistics assets. This is further supported by the emphasis on infrastructure development, changing supply chains, and low vacancy levels. This JV is well-positioned to benefit from these tailwinds, bring institutional-grade assets into this market, and generate resilient returns.” “We are very excited to extend our partnership with GIC as it firmly demonstrates ESR’s capability and track record of developing best-in-class, strategically located industrial and logistics facilities in prime locations across India. This strategic partnership provides us with immediate scale to capitalise on the early growth stages of India’s rapidly modernising industrial and logistics landscape and tap high …

The newly launched Hope Consortium, a UAE-based public-private partnership, has bolstered its distribution reach following a strategic agreement with leading international freight forwarders. The latest consortium partners, which include Agility, Aramex, Hellmann and Kuehne + Nagel, will help address the different steps of the logistical challenge, including ‘last mile’, with a capacity of billions of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses by the end of 2021. Spearheaded by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the Hope Consortium appointed these global transport companies based on their expert abilities and reach to safely and effectively deliver vaccine doses under cold and ultra-cold conditions (temperature bands 2-8 C, -20 C and -80 C) between transportation hubs, warehouses, medical facilities and other final destinations in over 170 countries. Representing the top global and Abu Dhabi supply chain solution players, the Hope Consortium consists of Etihad Cargo, Abu Dhabi Ports, Rafed – the healthcare purchasing arm of Abu Dhabi-based ADQ and Switzerland’s award-winning SkyCell, which develops next-generation, temperature-controlled logistics containers for the pharmaceutical industry. H.E. Dr. Jamal Mohammed Alkaabi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, says, “The Hope Consortium’s success relies upon the collaboration of public sector entities and leading private sector companies across the global logistics supply chain. The addition of Agility, Aramex, Hellmann and Kuehne + Nagel provides solid support and expertise to address multiple challenges, including the ‘last mile’ vaccine distribution challenge. This partnership demonstrates the unrivalled global strength of Hope Consortium.” “The Abu Dhabi-backed Hope Consortium has quickly and effectively garnered the attention and support of the world’s leading logistics players. Today’s announcement is testament to the sector’s ambition to overcome the complex challenges inherent in transporting sensitive cargo of …

With the Brexit transition period ending on January 1, Air Charter Service has started to secure exclusive capacity for its customers by contracting a UK-registered BAe 146 freighter. The aircraft is potentially the first of several options that ACS is securing in order to ensure that, in the scramble for capacity due to Brexit disruption, it can continue to offer its clients competitive solutions. As the aircraft is UK-registered, there will be no need for permits to fly into the country. Dan Morgan-Evans, Group Cargo Director, Air Charter Service, says, “Whether there is a trade deal between the UK and EU or not, it is clear that there will be disruption ahead at the UK border. According to government statistics, if even a small percentage of cargo coming through the UK’s sea ports in January requires transportation by air due to the disruption, there would be a significant requirement for airfreight – the equivalent of filling thousands of Boeing B747 freighters, in some scenarios. With the continued lack of belly capacity potentially exacerbated in January by this anticipated spike in demand, charter aircraft will have to pick up the shortfall. “The Bae 146 was identified as an ideal aircraft in many of our simulated scenarios, which included looking at the possibility of landing at smaller airports in the event of cargo congestion at major airports. However, there are a limited number available, especially on the G register. Whilst we can already source all the 146’s on the market reactively like many other brokers, we felt that exclusive use of this aircraft would give ACS customers an advantage, should the situation escalate. We have a long history of dealing with these …