On 1-2 February 2021 the webinar “Preparation and implementation of a plan for COVID-19 vaccines delivery by air” was held by the Interstate Aviation Committee jointly with ICAO within the framework of the ICAO/IAC Project “Development of Operational Safety and Continuing Airworthiness in the Member States of the Agreement”.

         The participants of the virtual workshop included more than 150 aviation specialists from 19 states of our region, Europe, USA and Canada, the management and leading specialists from the CAAs, airlines, airports, air navigation services of the region, as well as from a number of international organizations.

         In the course of the webinar reports from the experts of ICAO, ICAO EUR/NAT Office, IAC and IATA representatives, from the leading specialists of the UNEGE, WCO, LACAC, GEA, representatives of the Sheremetyevo-Moscow-Cargo and DHL Global Forwarding were presented.

        The presentations covered the following subjects:

-         Aviation security and facilitation aspects of vaccine delivery;

-         ANS aspects of vaccine delivery (ATFM exemptions for critical vaccine transportation flights);

-         Introduction of the electronic document management for cargo declarations and the necessity of the national legislations’ modernization;

-         ICAO interaction with the experts from international organizations to facilitate vaccine and medical supply transport;

-         ICAO-UNECE supply chain digitalization collaboration in support of UN COVID-19 response;

-         Safety and dangerous goods transportation;

-         Examples of preparation and actual implementation of a plan for COVID-19 vaccines delivery by air;

-         Presentations of the representatives of the CAAs of the States of the region.

         The participants of the webinar showed great interest in the practical experience of 7-th freedom traffic right’s application for cargo services as well as the possibilities of digitalization and the use of data protection technologies for air transportations, including vaccine transportation.

         The
participants of the webinar noted the unique character of its subject matter,
the relevance and structured character of its materials, as well as the
high importance of the issues raised for
the renewal of air cargo services in the conditions of the pandemic and the lack
of transportation containers and
emphasized that only the consolidated effort of the whole aviation community
with the support of the state authorities would allow to restore air cargo
services, vital for the transportation of vaccines necessary to stop COVID-19
pandemic.