December 22, 2020: Lufthansa Cargo has introduced Covid-19 Temp Premium for its customer which is specifically developed for the transport of Covid-19 vaccines. It will be bookable as of January 11, 2021.

The product will provide a high level of comprehensive and personalised customer service along the travel chain, including seamless monitoring of vaccine shipments throughout the entire process and a 24x7 after sales support. Additionally, Covid-19 Temp Premium includes high priority capacity access, Lufthansa Cargo's fastest speed option in combination with temperature focus and a comprehensive security concept as well as bookability throughout the entire Lufthansa Cargo network.

"The distribution of temperature- and time-sensitive pharmaceuticals is extremely demanding. Thanks to the recent expansion of our ground infrastructure, we can also handle larger volumes and transport them worldwide while supporting our customers to maintain the cold chain," explained Peter Gerber, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo. "In 2019, we transported around 100,000 tonnes of pharmaceuticals. We are ready to make another important contribution to overcoming the pandemic by distributing the vaccines worldwide."

For the transport of pharmaceuticals, three temperature ranges (based on the ambient temperature) are available in airfreight: Controlled Room Temperature for shipments with transport temperature range of +15°C to +25°C, cool storage for shipments with transport temperature range of +2°C to +8°C and deep frozen storage for shipments with transport temperature range of -10°C or below. By using special refrigerated containers and means, such as dry ice, the most diverse requirements of pharmaceutical manufacturers can be met. Accordingly, Lufthansa Cargo also has experience with transports in the ultra-frozen range (-70°C).

Even before the pandemic, Lufthansa Cargo already invested heavily in its temperature control facilities, including the brand new Lufthansa Cargo Pharma Hub Munich as well as the recently extended and upgraded Lufthansa Cargo Pharma Center Chicago at O’Hare International Airport.