Delta has proven capabilities for transporting COVID-19 vaccines after successful shipments earlier this year. With large warehouses and cooler facilities in Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York-JFK and Seattle, and a network of 49 certified Pharma airports across the globe, Delta has capabilities in place to support vaccine shipments at home and around the world.

In addition to robust domestic shipment capabilities to support rapid distribution within the U.S., Delta has a broad and nimble global distribution function in coordination with Air France KLM Martinair Cargo and Virgin Atlantic Cargo that enables end-to-end compliance and assurance for customers across our broad network.

“Effective and rapid distribution of the vaccines as they reach final approvals is one of the most critical elements in containing the virus,” said Rob Walpole, Vice President, Delta Cargo. “That’s why we created a vaccine task force months ago charged with understanding requirements and working with healthcare and pharmaceutical experts, building scalable solutions to support the industry. After successfully shipping test vaccines throughout the summer and fall we are confident in our capability and stand ready to help ensure approved vaccines are broadly distributed.”

Delta has introduced enhancements to our existing pharmaceutical delivery protocols to support safe, swift distribution, including:
Delta has extensive experience in shipping vaccines and was the first U.S. passenger airline to receive IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Pharma Logistics Certification at our headquarters and Atlanta warehouse. They already offer four tailored pharmaceutical shipping options which meet specific temperature requirements for vaccines ensuring integrity through the entire journey.

  • The highest level of access and boarding priority
  • A Vaccine Control Tower with 24/7 centralized monitoring and customer reporting
  • Pharma-ready Cargo-only charter options for operations within and outside our existing network