Some of the most valuable commodities on the planet at present are the vaccines being used in the fight against COVID-19. Ever since the first days of the pandemic, SmartLynx Airlines Cargo has been playing its part on the pandemic frontline by helping deliver life-saving medical goods, supplies, and equipment wherever they were needed around the world.

Over one year later and SmartLynx is still supporting the fight against COVID-19 employing its specialist abilities, vast experience, together with the right equipment, and a host of professional personnel to transport vaccines to where they are needed quickly, and safely. All the stops have been removed to help ensure the efficient distribution of the vaccines, on land, sea, and air.

Air cargo is probably the most crucial element in the delivery supply chain due to the time-sensitive nature of the product, and the necessity for a particular set of handling conditions specific to each company’s vaccine.

To meet those specific needs, along with the growing demand for cargo capacity – across every sector – SmartLynx has made the necessary Zero LOPA modifications on two of the fleet’s A321units that come with a volume capacity of 115m3 and a maximum cargo weight of 22,000 kg.

The SmartLynx air freighters used to transport the various vaccines must meet a host of stringent conditions and regulations. The vaccines themselves must be transported in specialised storage boxes and kept at the required temperature with the presence of dry ice.

Thankfully, with the advancement of modern packing materials, both the FAA and European Union Aviation Safety Agency have updated the guidance for operators, meaning air cargo transporters, like SmartLynx, have increased their capacity to carry more vaccines along with more dry ice.

As a vitally supportive component in the worldwide vaccination supply chain, SmartLynx’s specially formatted freighter units are playing an important role in getting the medicines where they are needed most. In the past week, SmartLynx satisfied all of the official authority’s requirements and successfully delivered a consignment of vaccines from their point of origin in China to their final destination in Guinea, Western Africa. 

Every cargo brings its challenges, but with a team of highly professional experts, each with many years of experience transporting difficult or demanding cargoes, along with the right equipment, and a can-do attitude, anything is possible. Facing up to a challenge as important as that of being responsible for the transportation of millions of temperature-sensitive vaccines around the globe was complex but doable.

This, hopefully, is a once-in-a-lifetime crisis, but one that SmartLynx is proud to play such an important part in, alongside so many others across the cargo freight industry. In what might be regarded as the biggest (and possibly most socially valuable) ‘product launch’ in the history of the pharmaceutical industry, every member of the SmartLynx team will remember this time with pride long into the future.

According to Aleksandrs Gusevs, VP Commerical of SmartLynx, “There can be no doubt that cargo is the new and presently most important business direction showing growth across the aviation industry. While many companies are sowing the seeds that will eventually support future needs, we at SmartLynx are already proud of our involvement in supporting global efforts in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. This is only made possible by cohesive teamwork which allows SmartLynx to respond swiftly to the demands set before us and execute the necessary steps to meet our goals.”