Vaccine Distribution Considerations Outlined in Bulletin

19 Jan 2021

As the devasting year of 2020 came to an end, the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines had many around the world pegging their hopes on a sense of normalcy for the new year.

Vaccine arrival BLR Airport — Vaccine arrival at Bangalore International Airport, India

Airports around the world are gearing up or already actively involved in the global distribution of the vaccines, considered to be one of the greatest challenges faced by the transportation and logistics industry. As gateways for the incoming and outgoing shipments of vaccines and equipment, airports play an important role. Airport operators are primarily responsible for facilitating and coordinating the activities related to this logistical process taking place on their premises, and in some cases are directly involved in the operations.

The ACI Advisory Bulletin on Airport Preparedness for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution helps airports enhance their preparedness for the COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Recognizing that the safe and efficient distribution of the vaccine requires a globally-coordinated effort among various stakeholders in the supply chain, the bulletin provides key considerations in the areas of operations, safety and security in the logistics planning process for airports.

Operational considerations

Availability of temperature-controlled airport cargo facilities and infrastructure
Prioritizing airport slots for cargo flights transporting the vaccines.

Safety considerations

Airport emergency responses to the potential safety risk caused by the increased use of dry ice for the transportation of the vaccine
Safety implications to airport operations due to the increased volume of cargo flights and larger aircraft types used.

Security considerations

Security risk assessments for any potential acts of unlawful interference against the vaccines
Security screening and protection measures for the vaccines.

The full set of considerations and recommendations are available in the Advisory Bulletin.