With Covid-19 vaccine development at advanced stages, GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo is gearing up to handle export and import of vaccines which require temperature-controlled infrastructure.
A number of logistical arrangements for the shipping of the vaccines are now underway.
The air cargo unit here sees itself playing a major role in the entire value chain of vaccine shipments to provide the necessary infrastructure for unbroken cool-chain for vaccine shipments to maintain the vaccine integrity.
Covid-19 vaccines require specialised handling, hence the procedures are being developed in coordination with manufacturers and supply-chain players to mitigate any risk during the process of transportation of vaccines right from the manufacturers’ facility to the final destination.
The pharma zone of the terminal is a WHO-GSDP (World Health Organization – Good Storage and Distribution Practices) certified facility. It provides end-to-end unbroken cool-chain for pharmaceutical and vaccine shipments. It handles various traditional vaccine shipments for global exports and imports.
As per the industry insights, most of India’s vaccine export will be to Africa, Latin America and Asia. Ingredients may be obtained from Europe and few other regions.
Currently, GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo (GHAC) is in the process of expanding specific land- and air-side facilities to further handle the spurt in pharma and vaccine shipments from Hyderabad.
Plans are in place also to increase the storage capacity for various vaccine types and related accessories and supplies. GHAC is also working with cool container providers for maintaining large stocks at its station. It is also upgrading the current capacity of cool container storage and charging locations to handle the surge in cool containers movement.
The company is working in sync with freight forwarders and trade members to improve efficiency to handle more volumes. It is undertaking expansion of the truck dock and pharma zone to increase its handling capacity for the temperature-sensitive pharma and vaccine shipments.