New Delhi: Pune Airport has been playing a significant role as the hub for the distribution of Serum Institute's Covidshield vaccine across India. More than 10 crore doses of the COVID Vaccine from January 12 till May 27, approximately 9,052 pieces (approximately 2,89,465 kg in weight) have been transported through various airlines from Pune Airport to different destinations such as Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Goa, Jaipur, Port Blair, Vijayawada, Bhubaneshwar, Patna, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Leh, Karnal, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Ranchi, Jammu, Cochin, Dehradun, Srinagar and Trivandrum. Airports across the country are contributing by ensuring seamless transport and shipment of vaccines and other essential medical supplies across the length and breadth of the country.
The entire team at Pune Airport, including AAI and all stakeholders, are ensuring seamless and smooth dispatch of Covishield vaccine. There is a dedicated team of AAI, AAICLAS, CISF, Serum Institute, Airlines and IAF which ensures coordination and priority handling of flights carrying vaccines out of Pune Airport.
The airport has also been transporting the vaccines internationally. Around 2,16,000 doses (570 kgs) of Covishield Vaccine have been transported to Suriname, Saint Kitts, St. Vincent and Gernadines, Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia from Pune Airport by chartered flights in February. PVC Vaccine, approximately 161 pieces (3670 kgs), was transported to Kolkata and Covid-19 testing kit were transported from Pune Airport to Delhi.
Apart from this, Pune Airport is also following all the COVID-19 related guidelines and protocols as per the instructions of the Central and state governments to ensure a safe journey for passengers. The airport staff makes continuous requests to all the passengers, stakeholders, visitors, employees etc to always follow COVID appropriate behaviour and maintain staggered timing to minimise crowding. To create awareness regarding COVID appropriate behaviour, ensuring the safety of passengers, the airport is also displaying instructions through several electronic and permanent displays at the terminal.
Pune Airport has organised COVID vaccination camp for employees of AAI and other stakeholders in collaboration and support from the state government, the Indian Air Force, Pune Municipal Corporation and various hospitals in Pune.
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