AriAsia PH seeks gov’t approval to transport Covid-19 vaccines

MANILA, Philippines — Budget carrier AirAsia Philippines is seeking the government’s approval to transport Covid-19 vaccines amid global efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

AirAsia Philippines said in a statement on Tuesday it has applied for regulatory approval as a so-called dangerous goods carrier.

Moreover, it is seeking special authorization from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to proactively participate in the possible rollout of vaccines across the country.

“Aside from our existing route network, we are committed to mount charter flights to provincial airports which can accommodate wide-body aircrafts such as the Airbus 320 to fast-track vaccine distribution efforts,” AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricardo Isla said.

The carrier is committing to aid the government in its distribution efforts ahead of the arrival of at least 5.6 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines in the first quarter of 2021.

The Food and Drug Administration last month approved the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca COVID19 vaccines.

AirAsia Philippines said it can also assist in the distribution via Teleport, the company’s logistics venture for door-to-door delivery.

Teleport is now widely available in 12 key cities in the country such as Bacolod, Cebu, General Santos, Iloilo, Kalibo, Puerto Princesa, Tacloban, Tagbilaran, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga, the budget airline said.