Only two airlines from Africa have signed an agreement with the United Nations (UN) for the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccines worldwide, and Kenya Airways (KQ) is not one of them.
UN has listed 16 airlines that have signed an agreement to transport over 600 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines globally between March and December 2021.
The two African airlines include Nairobi-based Astral Aviation and Ethiopian Airways.
Other airlines include AirBridgeCargo, Air France/KLM, Emirates SkyCargo, Brussels Airlines, Cargolux, Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways, IAG Cargo, Korean Air, Lufthansa Cargo, Qatar Airways, Saudia, Singapore Airlines and United Airlines.
“These airlines have signed agreements with UNICEF to support the prioritisation of delivery of Covid-19 vaccines, essential medicines, medical devices and other critical supplies to respond to the pandemic,” said the agency.
Read: KQ Makes History By Repurposing Boeing 787 Dreamliner Into Cargo Plane – Photos
KQ was left out despite launching a modern pharma cargo facility at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) as it eyed vaccine distribution business.
Also, the carrier recently became one of the first airliners to convert their Boeing 787 Dreamliner into a “Preighter” (passenger aircraft used as a freighter), targeting the cargo business following reduced number of passengers.
The UN targets to supply 20 percent of Africa’s Covid-19 vaccines, with UNICEF and Gavii paying for the vaccines while the UNICEF is doing the procurement and logistics.
The initiative is run under COVAX Facility, a global solution to the Covid-19 pandemic that ensures participating countries have fair access to vaccines, regardless of their income level.
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