Ethiopian Airlines is engaged in the delivery of massive medical supplies distribution services as different countries and agencies handed it cargo deals in relation to COVID-19, the Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO announced.
Ethiopian has deployed its advanced Pharma Wing in the global fight against the COVID-19 and reaffirmed its commitment and significant roles in the international effort to contain the virus and facilitate the global fight against COVID-19.
Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam said that Ethiopian has been a key enabler in the global effort to conquer COVID-19 by facilitating the shipment of life-saving medical supplies to different parts of the world.
“We feel privileged to serve the world in this difficult time deploying our state-of-the-art Pharma Wing as well as our cargo and passenger fleet,” he added.
As to him, Ethiopian has been playing a major role in delivering and distributing lifesaving medical supplies to different parts of the world which significantly help the global effort and fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement issued by the Group, Tewolde stressed that “equipped with temperature-controlled pharma handling storage covering an area of 54,000 sq. m, the Pharma Wing is suitable for handling medical supplies in different temperature ranges through the use of active containers and real-time temperature monitoring system.”
He further said that dedicated and trained staff stationed at the facility ensure that all operations are carried out in line with the rules and regulations of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and other regulatory bodies throughout the supply chain.
“Addis Ababa is designated as humanitarian air shipment hub by WFP and WHO owing to the airline’s [Ethiopian] advanced facilities, vast network of 127 international destinations and fleet”, he said.
Currently, Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services is transporting an average of 1.4 million kg of temperature-sensitive healthcare products monthly including medicines, biologicals, bio-technologies, diagnostics, vaccines and medical devices among others.
He explained that the pharmaceutical wing’s thermal control system is capable of handling medical supplies in different regions.
Accordingly, different UN Agencies, donor governments and philanthropists are using Addis Ababa as a hub to distribute medical supplies across Africa as part of the global effort to contain COVID-19.
Meanwhile, different countries including Thailand, Kenya, Tanzania, among others are awarding cargo services for Ethiopian following the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the air transportation sector. Recently, Ethiopian has been chosen to transport Tanzania’s fresh produce to European Markets.
The Ethiopian Herald April 23/2020
BY TEWODROS KASSA
