Turkish Cargo carries Chinese virus vaccines to Brazil

By Tuba Sahin

ANKARA (AA) - Istanbul-based Turkish Cargo, a division of national flag-carrier Turkish Airlines, carried the COVID-19 vaccines, manufactured in China, to Brazil.

The vaccines, loaded inside seven containers equipped with dedicated cooling systems, were transported safely from Beijing to Sao Paulo with a connecting flight at Istanbul, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

By carrying pharmaceuticals to the key and certificated destinations such as Mumbai, Brussels, Istanbul, Singapore, Dubai, Basel, London, and Amsterdam, Turkish Cargo created a global pharmaceutical corridor between more than 400 destinations.

The air freighter holds the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Center of Excellence for Independent Validators pharma certificate.

Turkish Cargo maintains the cold chain at the optimal conditions thanks to the "TK Pharma" product which was designed for carrying pharmaceuticals at global standards.

The company carried more than 40,000 tons of pharmaceuticals, medical products and medical equipment in January-September and reported over 50% growth for the pharmaceutical shipments during the same period.

Turkish Airlines Chief Cargo Officer Turhan Ozen stressed that the company offers industrial solutions such as the dedicated temperature-controlled storehouses (-20/25 degrees) pharmaceutical maintenance teams, active containers and thermal carriers for maintaining the cross-continental cold chain.

"Thanks to our special cargo shipments, for which we hold all global qualifications and certifications, we are ready to transport the vaccines that are ready or being developed to all across the globe," he said.

Turkish Cargo reaches over 300 destinations, 95 of which are direct cargo destinations, with a fleet of 365 aircrafts.

The company aims to become one of the top 5 air cargo brands in 2023.