India’s vaccine roll-out is set to begin from 16nth January . The Prime Minister Narendra Modi while announcing this has said that the Covid Warriors must get the first preference in vaccination.
Civil aviation minister Hardeep Puri had said that the Centre aims to inoculate at least 300 million people until July 2021 for which at least 600 million doses will be required.
Today, Air India, SpiceJet and IndiGo Airlines will operate 9 flights from Pune with 56.5 lakh doses to Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow & Chandigarh, says Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep S Puri.
The guidelines state vaccines packed in dry ice should preferably be transported in lower-deck of the cargo compartments of the planes, however in case the operators desire to carry vaccines packed in dry ice in the passenger cabin area the operators will have to ensure that the occupants on board are limited to the flight crew while passengers should not be allowed.
The civil aviation ministry held a round of meetings with airlines executives and airport authorities to finalise the logistics needed for the transportation of the Covid-19 vaccines.
“All arrangements have been made at airports for the transportation who are on standby and are ready to carry the consignment as and when the orders are placed,” a senior official said