PAL To Transport Covid19 Vaccines

Pfizer First To Arrive

9 February 2021

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has secured contract from US drug maker Pfizer and its German pharmaceutical partner BioNTech, to transport Covid19 vaccines manufactured in Belgium and the United States which starts arriving Friday.

PAL also secured contract to carry Pfizer vaccines to Cebu and Davao, as well as other major cities across the country. The contract amount was not disclosed.

PAL President and COO Gilbert Santa Maria said the airline will deploy Boeing 777-300ER plane to fetch the vaccines as it can take the largest quantities that satisfy the maximum safety limits as it include the carriage of dry ice.

Pfizer would initially shipped 117,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which would require -70 degrees temperatures for storage. The vaccine shipment is part of Covax Facility commitment together with the World Health Organization (WHO) to the Philippines.

They would be kept in the Department of Health (DOH) warehouse before being distributed to COVID-19 referral hospitals across the country.

The Philippines will begin nationwide vaccination drive on Monday, February 15.