Asiana Airlines succeeded in transporting the first COVID-19 vaccine on a cargo plane./ Courtesy of Asiana Airlines
Asiana Airlines succeeded in transporting the first COVID-19 vaccine on a cargo plane./ Courtesy of Asiana Airlines

 

Asiana Airlines shipped the finished product of the "COVID-19" vaccine on its cargo plane OZ795 bound for Moscow from Incheon at 10:20 p.m. on Dec. 29. This is the second time since the first shipment on Dec. 25.

The airline company said on Dec. 30 that the vaccine is a "Sputnik V" product developed in Russia and was commissioned and produced by a Korean pharmaceutical company called "Korea Korus (GL Rapha’s subsidiary).

Asiana Airlines formed partnerships with shippers and dealers from the early stages of transportation to carry out consulting throughout the entire process from packaging to air transportation.
 
As the vaccine needed to be stored at -20°C, keen attention was paid to maintaining the cold chain of the entire transportation process from the production plant to Asiana Airlines Incheon Cargo Terminal, aircraft, and to Moscow Freight Terminal.

"We have made efforts to establish a cold chain that can transport cryogenic temperatures (-60°C or below), frozen (-20°C), and refrigerated (2-8°C) all through contracts with five special container companies. We have successfully completed the first shipment on Dec. 25 and will do our best to introduce vaccines to the public," an Asiana Airlines official said.

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