National flag carrier Viet Nam Airlines and Bamboo Airways have said they are well prepared for the transport of COVID-19 vaccines for local pandemic prevention.

Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airways are well prepared for the transport of COVID-19 vaccines for local pandemic prevention. (Photo: VNA)

Bamboo Airways have put necessary resources in place for a couple  of months, including the best possible means of transport, standardised vaccine storage, and effective arrangement of human resources.

A representative from the carrier said that wide-body aircraft Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will be deployed for the mission, while staff with considerable experience will serve on the flights carrying COVID-19 vaccines.

Rehearsal was held regularly to ensure smooth transport of the vaccines, the representative said, adding logistics services, warehouses and refrigerated containers are ready for the mission as well.

Bamboo Airways also has experience in transporting critical goods to Northeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Australia. The carrier has receive good response from its customers and logistics firms.

In the meantime, Vietnam Airlines has proposed it be officially permitted by authorised health agencies to transport COVID-19 vaccines from overseas.

The  carrier said it has prepared all necessary resources to meet the strictest requirements on vaccine transportation by air. It has sufficient logistics services, modern cold storage systems, and trained human resources that meet international standards.

It is ready to introduce refrigerated container services for carrying vaccines, as poor preservation can affect quality and efficiency.

The carrier will also set up a specialised unit to perform these tasks.

Vietnam Airlines also has experience in transporting medical supplies, such as medicine and surgical instruments, as wells organs for transplant, even in time-sensitive emergencies.

It can deploy a fleet of wide-body aircraft such as Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s to transport large quantities of vaccines.

Transporting COVID-19 vaccine is seen as a century mission of the global aviation sector.

In Viet Nam, ensuring sufficient COVID-19 vaccine supply in 2021 is a priority of the Ministry of Health and competent ministries and sector.

The Ministry of Health said it is working to secure 90 million COVID-19 doses this year, and to implement the biggest vaccination drive in Viet Nam's history.

Source: VNA