Airlines are joining the fight against the coronavirus.
The long wait for a vaccine may be over, but distributing it to the 7.8 billion people around the world is the next big challenge. In the U.S., both the Pfizer–BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines require two doses that will eventually need to reach the nation’s roughly 330 million people.
Even though shipping is only one part of the journey, it’s a critical step. DHL and McKinsey estimate vaccinating the world will require up to 15,000 flights. In the U.S., airlines have stepped up to become a crucial part of the supply chain alongside logistics giants like UPS, FedEx and DHL.
American Airlines, Delta and United have been preparing since the summer and jumped into action hours after vaccines were approved for emergency use in the U.S.
Airlines carrying pharmaceuticals and vaccines is not a new idea, but the scale and speed at which the Covid-19 vaccines must be delivered makes it a more complicated endeavor.
Watch the video to learn how U.S. airlines are transforming to rapidly transport Covid-19 vaccines.