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Frankfurt / Main (dpa) - Lufthansa wants to get involved in the global distribution of corona vaccines.
In all probability, larger quantities would be produced in Central Europe, said the head of the freight subsidiary Lufthansa Cargo, Peter Gerber.
"In this case, it is clear that Lufthansa Cargo plays an important role."
In addition to the European pharmaceutical capacities, an important argument for Gerber is the established infrastructure at the Frankfurt hub, where imported pharmaceuticals can of course also be handled.
According to the operator Fraport, there are currently around 14,000 square meters of “temperature-controlled” transshipment capacity available at Germany's largest airport, with the greater part being managed directly by Lufthansa Cargo itself.
Last year, around 120,000 tons of vaccines, drugs and other pharmaceutical products were handled at Europe's largest pharmaceutical hub.
However, that was just under 6 percent of the total freight.
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"We have a very long experience with flying products that have to be cooled," says Gerber.
According to him, talks at expert level with logistics service providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers have been going on for months about the corona vaccines.
Because the first approvals are expected in December, vigorous negotiations are already underway.
Gerber expects the transport orders to peak between May and October 2021. “The tenders are already running.
Of course we responded to this and I assume that the first deals will be concluded shortly. "
The handling of vaccines in the ultra-low temperature range between -70 and -80 degrees, to which the candidate from the Mainz company Biontech belongs, is particularly tricky.
“We had to adjust to completely new requirements,” says the cargo boss.
"We are in constant dialogue with carriers and manufacturers in order to develop optimal processes."
It is expected that these sensitive doses of vaccine will be transported in containers with a coating in which dry ice is placed.
After all, Lufthansa has experience with this too, because bull semen, for example, is currently being transported around the world in this way.
But of course these are much smaller amounts, says Gerber.
“It's the very first time for vaccines.
It is the first vaccine that has to be flown this frozen. "
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There are also less temperature-sensitive vaccine candidates, but they all need a closed cold chain.
The vaccines from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are expected to be around -20 degrees in the freezer range, while those from Novavax and AstraZeneca are expected to stay in a normal refrigerator between +2 and +8 degrees.
Frankfurt Airport can serve in any temperature range with large halls.
When it comes to distribution, Gerber advocates using the established and proven transport network first.
"We are in a position not only to fly insulin back and forth between Frankfurt and Brazil within 18 hours, but also to distribute it a little when in doubt."
In terms of the logic of the flow of goods, Lufthansa is primarily active in Europe, Asia including Japan, and North and South America.
The scheduled airlines connect global freight centers such as Chicago, Frankfurt and Shanghai.
Africa and the Middle East, on the other hand, are the priority areas of the Arab airline Emirates, although Gerber wants to get involved here too.
From March of next year he will be head of the Belgian Lufthansa subsidiary Brussels Airlines, which traditionally has a strong network on the African continent.
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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201129-99-502285 / 2
Lufthansa Cargo