Kenya Airways (KQ) through its cargo arm KQ Cargo, has unveiled an ultra-modern pharma facility at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), to help meet the demand for medical shipments around the world.
KQ Pharma facility aims to bring Africa together, to have an ecosystem of partners that go beyond freight capabilities but also ensures a sustainable impactful approach to reducing the disease burden in Africa.
According to Dick Murianki, KQ Cargo Director, the facility’s immediate focus will be improving logistics in distributing a potential COVID-19 vaccine in Africa.
“KQ Cargo has been laying the groundwork and working closely with pharmaceutical and medical customers to be ready to safely and effectively support their vaccines transportation needs to move efficiently once the vaccine is approved by the regulators,” says Dick Murianki.
“The investment in the ultra-modern pharma facility, though coinciding with COVID-19 pandemic, is to further meet the demand of pharmaceutical products globally in preparation for the big task of transporting medicines, vaccines, blood samples and temperature-sensitive cargo by having an end-to-end cold chain logistics solutions,” he added.
Since the lockdown in March 2020, Kenya Airways and its cargo arm KQ Cargo, have worked relentlessly to uplift and transport vital goods and medical supplies, uplifting over 6,000 tonnes of much-needed medical equipment to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
JKIA has been a distribution and logistics hub in Africa and has been rated as the second-fastest-growing airport in the world for cargo by ACI in 2019.
KQ has also linked up with global leaders in cold chain solutions to offer active and passive packaging with dedicated equipment to perform seamless cold chain operations.
By Christabel Airo
