Covid vaccine: '8,000 jumbo jets needed' to deliver doses around world, warns IATA

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/10/we-have-too-few-planes-to-deliver-any-covid-19-vaccine-warns-aviation-group


Planes on the tarmac at Orly, France, due to lack of passenger traffic. Many airlines have parked up and rested vast chunks of their fleets, and it will take time to bring them back into service. Photograph: François Mori/AP

Industry body IATA warns of capacity shortage for ‘biggest aviation challenge ever’

Shipping a coronavirus vaccine around the world will be the airline industry’s biggest-ever challenge, requiring the equivalent of 8,000 jumbo jet planes to get a single dose to 7.8 billion people, according to the aviation industry.

The International Air Transport Association warned of severe capacity constraints that could hamper efforts to get a vaccine out quickly around the globe. While drugmakers are racing to develop a vaccine and get it approved by regulators, the international aviation group is working with airlines, airports, health bodies and pharmaceutical firms to draft an airlift plan.

IATA’s director general, Alexandre de Juniac, said: “Safely delivering Covid-19 vaccines will be the mission of the century for the global air cargo industry. But it won’t happen without careful advance planning. And the time for that is now. We urge governments to take the lead in facilitating cooperation across the logistics chain so that the facilities, security arrangements and border processes are ready for the mammoth and complex task ahead.”

Although just providing a single dose to 7.8 billion people would fill 8,000 Boeing 747 cargo aircraft, IATA said, any vaccine may require several doses. Vaccines also have to be stored at a certain temperature, which means not all planes are suitable.

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[Tanuki]

1. Republicans can't even safely organize a boat parade on a lake

...."IATA’s director general, Alexandre de Juniac, said: “Safely delivering Covid-19 vaccines will be the mission of the century for the global air cargo industry. But it won’t happen without careful advance planning. And the time for that is now. We urge governments to take the lead in facilitating cooperation across the logistics chain so that the facilities, security arrangements and border processes are ready for the mammoth and complex task ahead.”

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. So all the doses of the vaccine will come from one place and one place only?

Dare I suggest the formula be licensed and produced in more than one location?

Actually, the far more serious thing is that at least some of the vaccines being tested look as if they need to be stored in sub-zero temperatures, which means there's basically no way on god's green earth they will be able to be deployed in a lot of tropical locations without good infrastructure.

This virus is going to be with us for a very long time.

And for what it's worth, the current population of the planet is a smidge under 7.6 billion.

[LisaL]

3. So far we don't have anything to deliver.

I am not worrying about delivery of something that might never come to fruition.

[Sherman A1]

4. Well,

It’s not like they are doing much right now anyway. Not that there are that many in existence, but the ones available along with military cargo aircraft and other forms of transport will be able to make more than one trip and will get the job done.

[Squinch]

5. It is uncharacteristic for the Guardian to hype a non-problem like this. This is silly.

[Dennis Donovan]

6. They're speaking of it logistically, not as a "problem"