EUROCONTROL has joined forces with a wide range of partners to facilitate air traffic flow management (ATFM) for critical COVID-19 vaccines, working closely with European air navigation service providers (ANSPs), airlines, airports, as well as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NAV CANADA, the Canadian ANSP.
For some vaccines, avoiding delivery delay is crucial, and as from 28 January 2021, flight operators will be able to use a special code for crucial vaccine flights (“STS/ATFMX RMK/VACCINE”) in their flight plans. Flights marked in this way as essential vaccine transports that file plans to access the European network or transatlantic routes will then be automatically recognised by the EUROCONTROL Network Manager’s (NM) systems, and prioritised as much as possible.
“As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic international air traffic has been reduced to a minimum, and so have air traffic delays. However, as traffic rebuilds the air transport of vaccines could become hampered by delays in the network. This is the mission of the century for the global air cargo industry. To protect against any risks, in agreement with our Member States and our North-American partners at the FAA and NAV CANADA, we are pleased to coordinate a harmonised approach to the safe and efficient transportation of COVID-19 vaccines by air enabling their swift distribution to people around the world”, Eamonn Brennan, DIRECTOR GENERAL EUROCONTROL…
