In the bid to beat coronavirus and ensure that stricken communities have access to the critical supplies that they need, a host of international bodies are relaxing aviation measures that will enable cargo flights to access locations across the globe.
This came after an intervention by the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO), who asked governments throughout the world to facilitate the entry, departure and transit of aircraft engaged in relief flights.
This underlines the critical role that air freight and cargo firms can play in delivering relief to areas that may lack resources or find themselves on lockdown, but why exactly is this type of transportation so important?
Appraising the Benefits of Air Cargo in the Fight Against Covid-19
To understand the true benefit of air cargo at this time, we need to consider some recent case studies and the impact that freight has had on the wellbeing of individuals.
For example, Qatar Airways and Qatar Airways Cargo are continuing to support global trade while simultaneously taking steps to limit the spread of Covid-19.
To this end, they’re currently transporting a diverse range of essential goods and supplies to locations across the globe, including fresh food items and healthcare products to people who need them the most.
The fundamental nature of air freight also allows for the delivery of supplies in bulk, with Qatar Airways cargo planes capable of carrying more than 320,000kg of stock during a single flight.
The airline also has access to more than 160 global destinations, which is crucial given that we’ve now seen the total number of coronavirus cases worldwide peak in excess of 537,000.
Chapman Freeborn is another airline that has always done sterling work in delivering cargo and relief to locations in need of humanitarian aid, and their efforts during the Covid-19 outbreak is no exception to this rule.
Most recently, the brand has partnered with Magma Aviation to increase its available fleet and secure nine weekly rotations on routes between the EU and the U.S.
This timely intervention came after President Trump imposed an immediate travel ban on visitors from all 27 EU member states, creating a scenario where much-needed food items, medical supplies and pharmaceutical goods have re-entered the ad-hoc cargo market and led to an ongoing imbalance between supply and demand.
These efforts, in addition to the brand’s existing aircraft fleet and reach, ensure that Chapman Freeborn are able to provide direct assistance during the coronavirus outbreak and helping people when they need it the most.
The Last Word
These efforts underline the key role that air freight firms can play in all humanitarian relief efforts, and particularly the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
With governments across the globe also slashing red tape to deal with the pandemic and allow the fluid movement of air cargo between restricted locations, air freight will become even more important as the virus continues to spread.
More specifically, this will help to provide quick and effective aid should the virus spread exponentially in third-world locations such as Africa, which may save thousands of lives over time.
