COVID-19 and air cargo and the supply chain
ICAO provided the required leadership and support on multiple fronts to facilitate essential air cargo operations, with the objective of ensuring the sustainability of supply chains. These efforts included:
The Secretariat, through the Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation (CAPSCA), developed guidance material for essential cargo flights, based on a survey sent to ICAO Member States and international organizations. In addition, essential cargo operations were the first subject of the guidelines developed for the Public Health Corridor (PHC) Concept.
Guidance for States to address difficulties with providing required recurrent dangerous goods training was developed by the Secretariat with the support of the Dangerous Goods Panel (DGP) and is available on the
COVID-19 Safety Operational Measures website and in a quick reference guide (QRG). Guidance is also available on other subjects: correct interpretation and use of the definitions for passenger and cargo aircraft in Annex 18 in the repositioning of crew using all-cargo flights; repatriation of human remains by air, including where the cause of death was identified as COVID-19 (developed in collaboration with WHO, International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)).
A multi-modal transport coordination working group was also established to assist with addressing difficulties encountered by industry in moving cargo between the air and road modes of transport.
The Council approved two addenda to the
Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (Doc 9284, “Technical Instructions”) to address challenges that could slow down the distribution of the vaccine. One involved the classification as dangerous goods of certain vaccines based on genetically modified microorganisms (GMMOs), and the second involved the application of a lithium battery mark on packages containing COVID-19 vaccines accompanied by lithium battery-powered data tracking and/or data logging devices.
In regard to the former, it was determined, through coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), that vaccines posed a very low risk to transport and that vaccines authorized for use, including those in clinical trials, should not be subject to the Technical Instructions. However, vaccines containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and GMMOs were subject to them. The amendment approved by Council therefore excepted COVID-19 vaccines containing GMOs or GMMOs from the Technical Instructions.
In regard to the latter, the application and appearance of this mark creates delays in transport. The packaging for the vaccines, including the data loggers and tracking devices, are subject to robust medical standards beyond what is required by dangerous goods regulations. The removal of the mark from packages containing COVID-19 vaccines was not considered to introduce an unacceptable risk to transport. The amendment approved by Council therefore removes the requirement for it.
