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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Emirates has ordered five Boeing 777 freighters, eventually expanding its fleet to 21 of the planes.</li><li>The order comes days after Emirates' boss criticized a fresh delay to Boeing's new passenger jet, the 777X.</li></ul>Emirates has announced a fresh order for Boeing 777 freight planes, just days after its chairman publicly criticized the embattled planemaker.Emirates said Monday that it has ordered five more 777F planes as it seeks to expand its freight capabilities alongside its passenger operation. Combined with its previous orders and existing fleet, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2024/october/21-10/emirates-orders-5-additional">the Dubai-based airline will have 21 freight planes overall</a>, almost doubling its current amount. The planes, which will fly under the airline's Emirates SkyCargo brand, are expected to be delivered by the end of 2026, Emirates said."We're investing in new freighter aircraft to meet surging demand and provide our customers around the world with even more flexibility, connectivity, and options to leverage market opportunity," HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, said.Emirates is one of Boeing's biggest customers, so a fresh order of Boeing planes is not unusual. However, the timing of the announcement is noteworthy, coming less than a week after sharp criticism of the company from Tim Clark, Emirates' chair.<div type="image" title="Tim Clark speaking at a press conference with an image of a plane behind him." height="2967" width="4500" msid="114428148" hostid="261" sizebytes="1748448"></div>After Boeing announced that its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/emirates-boeing-777x-delays-plans-serious-conversation-strike-2024-10">much-anticipated 777X passenger jet would be further delayed</a>, Clark said he would have a "serious conversation" with Boeing's management about the continued setbacks to the plane. Emirates has ordered over 260 of the 777X."I fail to see how Boeing can make any meaningful forecasts of delivery dates," Clark said in a statement to Business Insider."Emirates has had to make significant and highly expensive amendments to our fleet programs as a result of Boeing's multiple contractual shortfalls and we will be having a serious conversation with them over the next couple of months," he added.Boeing said earlier in October that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-layoffs-strike-777x-delay-freighter-2024-10">it would cut around 10% of its 170,000 workforce</a> and that the first delivery of the 777X would not be ready until 2026, several years after first expected.Boeing has dealt with the financial fallout from an ongoing strike, which may end this week <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-union-leaders-deal-strike-wage-increase-2024-10">if workers agree to a 35% pay raise in a vote</a>.Boeing said in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://investors.boeing.com/investors/news/press-release-details/2024/Boeing-Reports-Preliminary-Third-Quarter-Results/">a preliminary third-quarter earnings report</a> that the delay to the 777X plane would cost $2.6 billion.The 777X is set to become the largest twin-engine jet in operation, with a capacity for more than 400 seats. This aligns with the Dubai government's intention to expand Al Maktoum International airport to make it the world's largest hub by capacity.Emirates did not immediately respond to a request for further comment from Business Insider.

Emirates has placed a fresh order for Boeing freight planes, just days after its chairman criticized ongoing delivery delays

We went aboard Boeing's largest twin-engine cargo plane and saw how it's tackling the shipping crisis from the air

We went inside Emirates SkyCargo's massive Dubai facility and saw how air cargo is keeping the global supply chain running amid the shipping crisis

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Air cargo was one of the big winners from the Dubai Airshow thanks to the shipping crisis.</li><li>Airbus and Boeing landed orders for cargo jets, both new and converted, to meet rising demand.</li></ul>International airshows are typically a time for <keyword id="11898285" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="airlines" source="Orion">airlines</keyword> to show off their <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dubai-airshow-what-to-look-forward-to-2021-11">latest and greatest innovations that seek to improve the flying experience for travelers</a>. But this year's Dubai Airshow saw big wins not just for passengers but also packages. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-cargo-airlines-scouring-the-desert-for-cheap-passenger-jets-2021-7">Air cargo has been riding high for most of the pandemic</a> and its importance has only been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-port-los-angeles-long-beach-shipping-supply-chain-tour-expert-2021-11">strengthened by the current shipping crisis</a>. Companies that may have relied on ocean shipping in the past and now loosening the purse strings and paying up to send their items in the shipping equivalent of first class. And the conversation among the world's leading aircraft manufacturers including Airbus and Boeing is shifting to include cargo aircraft, for which <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-bests-boeing-dubai-airshow-orders-boeing-shows-off-777x-2021-11">there was no shortage of orders in Dubai</a>. Boeing kicked off the air show with orders for its Boeing Converted Freighters, including nine 767-300BCFs for DHL Express and 11 737-800BCFs for leasing company Icelease. Three new conversion lines in the UK and Canada announced at Dubai will also increase Boeing's capacity to transform the aircraft from airliners to freighters, a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/big-twin-inside-development-worlds-largest-twin-engine-cargo-plane-2021-5">process that can take months depending on the size of the aircraft</a>. <div type="image" title="DHL Express Boeing 767-300F" height="1517" width="2023" msid="87899677" hostid="261"></div>Airbus then launched the Airbus A350 Freighter project with a seven-aircraft order from Air Lease Corporation, marking the first next-generation Airbus aircraft to enter the cargo realm. The A350 Freighter, slated to arrive around 2026, boasts a 109-tonnes payload capacity with reduced fuel burn and emissions. Boeing, however, held off on launching the freighter variant of its upcoming 777X aircraft, which will soon become <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-new-boeing-777x-worlds-largest-twin-engine-passenger-plane-2021-11">the largest certified twin-engine passenger plane in the world and was on hand in Dubai</a>.Mike Fleming, senior vice president in charge of commercial customer support and commercial derivative programs, cited the backlog that Boeing is experiencing with three commercial aircraft currently working towards certification. "Now, if all we had to do all fall, that was going on in our world was the freighter, we could get it done," Fleming told reporters in Dubai of the 777X Freighter. Boeing's 777-900, 737 Max 7, and 737 Max 10 aircraft have yet to be certified and the 777X project has already been delayed past its initial projections. <div type="image" title="Boeing 777X at Dubai Airshow 2021" height="1738" width="2317" msid="87899679" hostid="261"></div>Fleming didn't give an estimate on how long a 777X Freighter project would take but also did not foresee any potential challenges with the project. Boeing has introduced freighter variants of nearly every jet aircraft in its staple, including the 727, 737, 747, 757, and 767 aircraft flying today. "We've developed a lot of freighters, that's something we do with almost all of our airplane models, Fleming said. "There's always a freighter in the plan when we launch the airplane and it's pretty straightforward."Israel Aerospace Industries earned a new client with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/emirates-to-fly-worlds-largest-twin-engine-cargo-jet-israeli-2021-11">Emirates committing to convert four of its Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft to freighter aircraft</a>. It's a natural fit, according to Nabil Sultan, <keyword id="12602496" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="emirates-skycargo" source="Orion">Emirates SkyCargo</keyword>'s divisional senior vice president, as <keyword id="12169028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="emirates" source="Orion">Emirates</keyword> has an extensive fleet of Boeing aircraft with some nearing the end of their passenger life. The "Big Twin," as IAI calls the project, will be the largest twin-engine cargo plane in the skies and is among the replacement solutions to the Boeing 747. But Emirates isn't diving completely headfirst into the conversion market as it also placed an order for two new Boeing 777-200 Freighter aircraft in an order valued at $704 million. <div type="image" title="Israel Aerospace Industries Boeing 777-300ER &quot;Big Twin&quot; cargo plane" height="1665" width="2221" msid="87899681" hostid="261"></div>"When you have the mix, you're able to address your market needs much [better] and I think that's why we continue to buy new aircraft while we grow our converted equipment also, " Sultan told Insider. Airbus gained its second customer for the A350 Freighter one day after the Dubai Airshow wrapped, announcing an impending deal with CMA CGM. Four A350F aircraft will join the shipping magnate's fleet of five A330-200 Freighter aircraft and 545 seafaring vessels.

Cargo planes and air carriers won big at the Dubai Airshow thanks to the shipping crisis and pandemic

<ul class="summary-list"><li>More than 300 <keyword id="2045" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="horses">horses</keyword> have traveled to Tokyo to compete in the <keyword id="6360967" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="olympics">Olympics</keyword> and Paralympics.</li><li>A whopping 19 airplanes and 185 truck journeys were commissioned to transport the equine passengers.</li><li>The horses enjoyed in-flight meals and snacks, grooming sessions, and business class accommodations.</li></ul>When it comes to <keyword id="6354692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> for members of the Olympic and Paralympic <keyword id="6686960" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="equestrian">equestrian</keyword> teams, nobody's horsing around.Approximately 325 horses have made their way across the world for the upcoming Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo, and they're traveling in style. A whopping 19 airplanes and 185 truck journeys were commissioned to transport the top-flight equines to their own Olympic village in Japan.<div type="image" title="A horse boards a truck for transport to the Olympic games." height="534" width="712" msid="84564957" hostid="261"></div>To ensure their comfort, the horses were afforded luxuries such as business class accommodations, in-flight meals, snacks, and grooming. They even have their own passports.But these four-legged Olympians and Paralympians also had to endure the hardships of traveling in the age of COVID-19; mandatory quarantines, veterinary visits, and health certificates were all necessary prerequisites to get to the games."To see these horses arriving at Haneda Airport is a truly historic occasion, and what makes it even more special is that these are not simply horses, they are Olympic horses," Administrator of Tokyo International Airport Takahashi Koji said <a href="https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/let-the-games-begin-first-horses-touch-down-in-tokyo">per The Chronicle of the Horse</a>. "It's a really big night for the airport, and particularly for the cargo team, and we see it as one of the major milestones of the final countdown to the <keyword id="1581035" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tokyo-2020">Tokyo 2020</keyword> Olympic Games."<div type="image" title="Horse passports." height="532" width="710" msid="84564962" hostid="261"></div>Here's the rundown of how a bulk of the horses got to Tokyo, according to The Chronicle of the Horse.Of the 325 total equine passengers, 247 flew through Liège, Belgium, where the airport has a special hotel for horses. After 60 days of stringent health monitoring and a seven-day quarantine, the horses boarded an Emirates SkyCargo Boeing 777-F - the most environmentally friendly freighter in circulation - for one of eight chartered flights to Haneda Airport.Between food, water, equipment, and the horses themselves - which weigh somewhere between 1,100 and 1,400 pounds each on average - flying these clip-cloppers through the skies is a rather tall task. Fortunately for those responsible for getting the horses to Tokyo, the Emirates SkyCargo Boeing 777-F is a mammoth of a <keyword id="6356222" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="plane">plane</keyword> that can hold nearly 236,000 pounds of cargo per trip.<div type="image" title="Emirates SkyCargo Boeing 777-F." height="1621" width="2500" msid="84564964" hostid="261"></div>The first jet that took off from Liège was tasked with transporting nearly 3,000 pounds of horse equipment - saddles, blankets, grooming kits, wheelbarrows, and the like - as well as 26,000 pounds of feed, 1,440 liters of water, and 36 equine passengers.The horses were divided among 19 flying stables - business class for horses - and kept cool at roughly 60 degrees Fahrenheit. A groom team and a veterinarian flew alongside the animals to provide comfort and care throughout the journey. And in addition to their custom meals, the equines were offered an assortment of in-flight snacks that included bananas, carrots, and hay.Here's what the journey looked like for some of the American horses: After a brief pit-stop in Dubai to refuel and change crews, the herd arrived in Japan. And once they touched down at Haneda Airport, the horses were led off the plane and onto one of 11 air-conditioned trucks. The fleet then drove northwest to Baji Koen, the home of the Tokyo 2020 Equestrian Park.Equestrian events for this summer's games begin July 23 with dressage horse inspections. Eventing starts nearly a week later on Thursday, July 29, while the jumping competition won't start until August.<div type="image" title="Equestrian Park at Tokyo 2020 Olympics." height="1666" width="2222" msid="84564970" hostid="261"></div>

More than 300 horses traveled to the Olympics on special flights complete with passports, in-flight meals, and mandatory COVID quarantines

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Airbus landed 408 orders for aircraft at the Dubai Airshow ranging from the new A350 Freighter to the A220-300. </li><li><keyword id="11910631" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boeing" source="Orion">Boeing</keyword> paled in comparison with 98 orders, including a 72-aircraft order for the 737 Max. </li></ul>DUBAI — The Dubai Airshow officially ended and Airbus walked away with 408 aircraft orders and commitments, besting competitor Boeing which ended the show with only 98 of the same. Indigo Partners, an airline holding company, placed massive orders for next-generation Airbus narrow-body aircraft including the A321neo and A321XLR for its family of ultra-low-cost airlines. The opening day order quickly placed Airbus ahead of Boeing and set the tone for the five-day event.European carrier Wizz Air will receive 75 A321neo and 27 A321XLR aircraft, American carrier Frontier Airlines will receive 91 A321neo aircraft, Mexican carrier Volaris will receive 39 A321neo aircraft, and Chilean carrier JetSmart will receive 21 A321neo and 2 A321XLR aircraft, as part of the mega order.Airbus also launched the A350 Freighter, the cargo variant of the popular A350 XWB passenger wide-body plane, in a seven-aircraft order to aircraft leasing company Air Lease Corporation. Other models in the 111-aircraft order from Air Lease included 25 Airbus A220-300s, 55 A321neos, and four A330neos, to be leased to airlines around the world.<div type="image" title="Airbus A350-900 XWB at Dubai Airshow 2021" height="1389" width="1852" msid="87803031" hostid="261"></div>Finally, on the commercial side, Kuwait's Jazeera Airways placed an order for 28 Airbus A321neo aircraft while Nigeria's Ibom Air joined the Airbus family with an order for 10 A220 jets.Airbus' defense division secured orders for two Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft bound for the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence. Indonesia also purchased two Airbus A400M cargo <keyword id="11896629" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="planes" source="Orion">planes</keyword>.Boeing began the air show with strong sales on the cargo conversion side of its business as carriers look to expand air freight operations amid the shipping crisis. DHL Express placed an order for nine Boeing 767-300BCF, or Boeing Converted Freighter, aircraft while aircraft leasing company Icelease ordered 11 Boeing 737-800BCFs.Emirates followed with a newly-revealed order for two new Boeing 777-200 Freighter aircraft to expand its Emirates SkyCargo fleet. Four <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/emirates-to-fly-worlds-largest-twin-engine-cargo-jet-israeli-2021-11">Boeing 777-300ERSF aircraft will also join the Emirates fleet in a deal with Israel Aerospace Industries</a> to convert four of the airline's 777-300ER passenger aircraft into freighters, at a cost of around $200 million.The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/boeing-737-max">Boeing 737 Max</a> had a successful air show, with a new Indian carrier, Akasa Air, placing an order for 72 737 Max 8 and 737 Max 8-200 aircraft. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/united-orders-270-next-generation-jets-upgrading-fleet-with-tv-screens-2021-6">Orders for the 737 Max have flowed in</a> since the Federal <keyword id="12018329" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="aviation" source="Orion">Aviation</keyword> Administration <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-737-max-fly-again-news-update-recertification-faa-production-2020-11">ungrounded the aircraft in November 2020</a> after 20 months following two fatal crashes. Boeing did succeed in generating excitement for its newest and largest twin-engine aircraft, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/boeing-777x">Boeing 777X</a>. Having <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-777x-twin-engine-plane-flew-for-the-first-time-2020-1">first flown in January 2020</a>, the Dubai Airshow marked the first-ever international trip for the 777X and the first time members of the public were allowed onboard.<div type="image" title="Boeing 777X at Dubai Airshow 2021" height="1738" width="2317" msid="87803033" hostid="261"></div>The soon-to-be world's largest twin-engine passenger plane is expected to be delivered in 2023, with six customers including the Dubai-based Emirates.Boeing did not land any orders for the 777X while at the airshow but does hold <a href="https://www.boeing.com/commercial/?cm_re=March_2015-_-Roadblock-_-Orders+%26+Deliveries/#/orders-deliveries">more than 300 orders placed since the aircraft's inception</a>. The new flagship jet left Dubai mid-week for Qatar and Germany on its way to visit fellow customers Qatar Airways and Lufthansa, respectively.A decision has not been made on whether Boeing will introduce a freighter variant of the 777X despite a red-hot market for cargo planes. But Boeing still has time to develop the aircraft as the A350 Freighter won't see deliveries until around 2026, <a href="https://www.flightglobal.com/dubai-2021/air-lease-becomes-a350f-launch-customer-as-part-of-broader-large-airbus-order/146416.article">FlightGlobal</a> reported.

Airbus racked up 4 times as many orders for aircraft as Boeing at Dubai, but Boeing stole the show with the 777x, its newest flagship

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="12568114" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boeing-777x" source="Orion">Boeing 777X</keyword> is primed to be a popular seller in the private jet and cargo realms in addition to commercial airlines. </li><li>Cargo carriers are looking to grow their fleets amid a boom in demand while a 777X private jet can be sold to governments and heads of state.</li></ul><keyword id="11910631" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boeing" source="Orion">Boeing</keyword>'s new flagship aircraft has the potential to be a jack of all trades. But right now, it's a master of none. The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-new-boeing-777x-worlds-largest-twin-engine-passenger-plane-2021-11">Boeing 777X is on track to be certified in late 2023</a> and there's growing demand for the world's largest twin-engine passenger jet to fly more than just airline passengers. Boeing's commercial derivatives program is tasked with developing alternative uses for the manufacturer's commercial aircraft, and the largest contender outside of the airline realm may be in air cargo. Cargo carriers are already aware of Boeing's strengths in developing freighter aircraft as nearly every one of the manufacturer's commercial aircraft has a freighter variant. And a Boeing 777X Freighter would be the natural next step for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-inside-boeing-777-freighter-cargo-plane-tackling-shipping-crisis-2021-12">cargo carriers flying the Boeing 777 Freighter</a>.<div type="image" title="Emirates SkyCargo" height="1602" width="2136" msid="88918282" hostid="261"></div>Airbus, however, has secured momentum in the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cargo-wins-big-dubai-airshow-airlines-capitalize-on-shipping-crisis-2021-11">cargo realm by launching the A350 Freighter at the Dubai Airshow in Novembe</a>r. Global airlines including <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airlines-spending-billions-on-boeing-airbus-freighters-shipping-crisis-2021-12">Air France and Singapore Airlines have already placed orders and made commitments for the aircraft</a>, which may fly as early as 2025."[Airbus] in particular, in my view, have done incredible work … in terms of coming up with an incredibly unique aircraft," Nabil Sultan, Emirates SkyCargo's divisional senior vice president, told Insider.But Emirates faces the same problem as its counterparts in that there's a desire to expand their fleets now <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-air-cargo-facility-global-supply-chain-freight-shipping-crisis-2021-12">amid a booming period for the air cargo industry</a>. Tiding Emirates over until the Boeing 777X Freighter and Airbus A350F are certified and ready for deliveries is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/emirates-to-fly-worlds-largest-twin-engine-cargo-jet-israeli-2021-11">a purchase of two current-generation Boeing 777 Freighters</a> and conversion plans for four <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/big-twin-inside-development-worlds-largest-twin-engine-cargo-plane-2021-5">Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft to be turned into cargo planes by Israel Aerospace Industries</a>.Boeing's backlog with certifying its commercial aircraft like the 777X, 737 Max 7, and 737 Max 10 is preventing the manufacturer from launching the 777X Freighter, according to Mike Fleming, Boeing's senior vice president in charge of commercial customer support and commercial derivative programs.Qatar Airways plans to grow its cargo fleet and may be among the first to place an order for the 777X Freighter once the program finally does launch. Akbar Al Baker, chief executive officer of Qatar Airways, told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/exclusive-boeing-offers-new-777x-freighter-qatar-eyes-order-airline-says-2021-06-03/">Reuters</a> that Boeing has offered the 777X Freighter for his cargo division. <div type="image" title="Boeing 777X at Dubai Airshow 2021" height="1666" width="2223" msid="88918286" hostid="261"></div>Boeing is already a natural choice to refresh the Qatar Airways Cargo fleet considering that the majority of its aircraft are Boeing 777 Freighters. But a dispute with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/qatar-wants-over-600-million-from-airbus-over-paint-flaws-2022-1">Airbus over the paint quality on the A350 XWB aircraft delivered to Qatar Airways</a> may make Boeing an even more likely partner. A lesser-known division of Boeing is also preparing to launch the 777X as a private jet. Boeing Business Jets caters to the top tier of travelers even beyond ultra-high-net-worth individuals and is expecting customers for the 777X airliner-turned-private-jet to be the likes of national governments, royal families, and heads of state. "That will be really the flagship for [Boeing Business Jets and] hopefully in the next couple of years, we'll get our first sale," JD Detwiler, president of Boeing Business Jets, said of the 777X in Dubai. "That aircraft has the ability to link any two cities on the planet, it has an effective range approaching 12,000 nautical miles."<div type="image" title="Boeing Business Jet 737 — Dubai Airshow 2021" height="1666" width="2223" msid="88918289" hostid="261"></div>And its $442.2 million price tag is just the tipping point as interior completions can cost millions and take more than two years to finish."You're probably looking at five years if you sign a contract for a 777X right now because it takes longer to build it and then it takes much longer to do the interior," Detwiler told Insider, noting that only a handful of firms are licensed by Boeing to complete aircraft interiors. But before any 777X Freighter or Boeing Business Jet is delivered, passengers airlines will have to get their overdue deliveries first. As of now, Boeing is still undergoing flight testing and certification trials to ensure that its new flagship will meet the revised delivery timeline of late 2023. The only passengers that get to fly on the aircraft are a team of flight test engineers and pilots that are putting the aircraft through its paces.

Boeing's new $442.2 million flagship plane is drawing interest from across the aviation industry. But delays are preventing it from realizing its potential.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="12018329" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="aviation" source="Orion">aviation</keyword> industry has played a key role in mitigating the effects of 2021's worst moments. </li><li>Transport aircraft aided in the evacuation of Afghan refugees while humanitarian flights helped deliver supplies to disaster areas. </li></ul>The aviation industry has endured a very turbulent time during the <keyword id="11894864" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19-pandemic" source="Orion">COVID-19 pandemic</keyword>. In 2020, travelers rushed to book flights on commercial airliners while the wealthy splurged on private jets just to get home as the world shut down around them.But after March 2020, the global public was largely wary of flying and many had no place to go. Less than 500,000 travelers departed from US airports daily from March 21, 2020, until June 10, 2020, according to the <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput">Transportation Security Administration</a>, and it wasn't until October 17, 2020, that more than one million travelers departed from US airports in a given day. Travelers began flying again in earnest during the last few months of 2020 but 2021 is where aviation regained its stride. Days with more than one million travelers using US airports are once again the norm and some airlines are back to recording profits.But beyond just the routine passenger flights taking vacationers on much-needed getaways, aviation played a vital role in mitigating the effect of some of the year's worst catastrophes as well as in reconnecting a fractured world. Here's how aviation helped save the world in 2021. <h2>Supporting the COVID-19 vaccine airlift</h2><div type="image" title="Singapore Airlines COVID-19 Vaccine" height="1666" width="2223" msid="88618914" hostid="261"></div>Aviation's arguably most impactful feat in 2021 was facilitating the global distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. The first flights began in 2020 and were largely operated in secret or with the utmost level of security. A <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-united-airlines-overcame-major-limitation-to-fly-pfizer-vaccine-2020-11">chartered United Airlines aircraft brought the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine from Europe to the US in November 2020</a>, in anticipation of regulator approval.Once in the US, cargo carriers including UPS Airlines helped transport the vaccines around the country. Without air cargo facilitating those early deliveries of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2020, states across the US would not have been able to expedite the vaccine rollout in 2021 that has resulted in more than half of the population becoming fully vaccinated. Emirates SkyCargo, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-air-cargo-facility-global-supply-chain-freight-shipping-crisis-2021-12">the airfreight division of Middle Eastern mega carrier Emirates</a>, has flown more than 500 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on its aircraft since November 2020. At least 200 million of those doses were flown in October and November alone. "It's really getting into a supply chain flow, which we see with regular shipments," Bert Allard Jorritsma, manager of Emirates SkyCargo's special cargo service delivery, told Insider. "But we should not forget because the pandemic is not over yet, the importance [of the vaccines.]"The US State Department is facilitating the donation of <a href="https://www.state.gov/covid-19-recovery/vaccine-deliveries/">1.2 billion doses of the COVID-19 to countries around the world</a>, an endeavor also made possible by <a href="https://twitter.com/StateDept/status/1473473364811411461">air cargo</a>. <h2>Helping Haiti recover after an earthquake</h2><div type="image" title="Haiti earthquake humanitarian flight" height="1665" width="2220" msid="88618916" hostid="261"></div>In mid-August, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake impacted the Caribbean nation of Haiti, causing death and destruction. The US government and private air carriers provided support to Haiti to assist with recovery and aid efforts. The US military's Joint Task Force-Haiti provided 19 helicopters and eight transport aircraft that assisted 477 people and transported 587,950 pounds of supplies, according to the <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/sep-3-2021-southcom-successfully-completes-haiti-earthquake-operation-usaid">US Agency for International Development</a>. <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/air-and-marine-operations-works-partners-haitian-earthquake-relief">US Customs and Border Protection</a> sent aircraft and personnel to Haiti to assist with recovery efforts. The Lockheed P-3 aircraft flew more than 20 hours, helping facilitate communications for other aircraft conducting rescue and relief missions. Cargo carriers including National Air Cargo and <a href="https://www.aviationpros.com/airlines/press-release/21236899/volgadnepr-group-volgadnepr-group-supports-victims-of-the-haiti-earthquake">Volga-Dnepr Group</a> arranged humanitarian supply flights while JetBlue Airways sent a plane from Florida with first responders and relief supplies to the country, according to <a href="https://miami.cbslocal.com/2021/08/16/south-florida-sends-relief-supplies-first-responders-to-haiti/">CBS Miami</a>.Agape Flights, a Christian nonprofit organization that assists in humanitarian efforts, used its aircraft to deliver supplies to Haiti. One of its pilots, after being approached by wounded Haitians in the commune of Les Cayes, flew around six people to the capital city of Port-au-Prince to receive medical attention, according to the <a href="https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2021/08/16/agape-flights-makes-first-disaster-relief-delivery-haiti/8148114002/">Herald-Tribune</a>. <h2>Flying over the <keyword id="12030579" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="shipping-crisis" source="Orion">shipping crisis</keyword></h2><div type="image" title="cargo" height="1998" width="2664" msid="88618917" hostid="261"></div>Air cargo has shifted from becoming a luxury for some shippers to a necessity as hundreds of container ships find themselves spending weeks outside ports from Los Angeles to Savannah, Georgia. While a more expensive option compared to ocean shipping, shippers are adapting to the new reality of getting goods to market. "The amount of time people are wasting and people missing their deadlines ... cost way more than the cost to charter a plane," Jill Rice, a partner owner of PortX Logistics, told Insider during a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-port-los-angeles-long-beach-shipping-supply-chain-tour-expert-2021-11">tour of port congestion in Los Angeles Harbor</a>. The new-found demand for air cargo has passenger and freight airlines alike looking to grow their operations with new aircraft. Between November and December, the likes of Air France, Singapore Airlines, CMA CGM Air Cargo, and UPS Airlines have committed to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airlines-spending-billions-on-boeing-airbus-freighters-shipping-crisis-2021-12">billions of dollars worth of new cargo planes from Boeing and Airbus</a>. "People really got used to expediting cargo [on aircraft] and the new world of the supply chain," Christopher Alf, chairman of National Air Cargo, told Insider. "People get used to moving quicker and we all know the world's moving quicker so people are demanding freight to come at a faster clip."But just as port congestion grew in places like Los Angeles, air cargo might experience a similar issue. Air cargo is not immune to the labor shortage or the truck driver shortage and overfilling warehouses may be the sign of new congestion issues, as the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fair-cargo-also-disrupts-supply-chain-as-goods-spill-out-of-warehouses-11640255401">Wall Street Journal</a> reported. <h2>Evacuating thousands of refugees from Afghanistan</h2><div type="image" title="In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Air Force loadmasters and pilots assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, load people being evacuated from Afghanistan onto a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021." height="3640" width="4854" msid="88618918" hostid="261"></div>The final days of the War in Afghanistan relied upon the aviation industry to evacuate Afghan refugees and any remaining Americans in the country that wanted to leave the country as the Taliban took over. US-flagged airlines <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2741564/department-of-defense-activates-civil-reserve-air-fleet-to-assist-with-afghanis/">activated under the Civil Reserve Air Fleet</a> were tasked by the US government, for the first time since 2004, with helping to evacuate Afghan refugees. A total of 18 aircraft from long-haul airlines including American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Atlas Air, Omni Air, and Hawaiian Airlines flew to military bases in Europe and the Middle East to fly thousands of refugees directly to the US for resettlement. Other US carriers flew directly into a deteriorating Kabul, Afghanistan to rescue refugees. National Air Cargo, a long-time military contractor, says it was the last US carrier on the ground in Afghanistan before the US military officially pulled out of the country. Global Crossing, a new Miami-based charter airline, also flew rescue missions directly out of Kabul using its fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft. Turkish Airlines and Pakistan International Airlines were also able to fly <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/turkish-airlines-civilian-jet-flew-into-kabul-on-daring-flight-2021-8">Boeing 777 aircraft into Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport</a>, despite mounting security risks, to evacuate citizens of their respective countries. And within Kabul, the US military used helicopters to help evacuate the US Embassy in Afghanistan. One US Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transported 823 Afghan citizens from Kabul, setting a record for the aircraft, according to the <a href="https://twitter.com/AirMobilityCmd/status/1428700131524845569">US Air Mobility Command</a>. On August 31, the final US military aircraft departed Kabul for Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, marking the end of the 20-year War in Afghanistan. <h2>Recovering and learning from Hurricane Ida</h2><div type="image" title="Marine One Hurricane Ida" height="1400" width="1866" msid="88618920" hostid="261"></div>While the Afghanistan airlift was underway in the Middle East, the US was dealing with a hurricane that ran through the Southeast and East Coast. Hurricane Ida caused devastation in at least 12 states with intense rainfall and flooding. Helping track and study Hurricane Ida was the <a href="https://www.omao.noaa.gov/find/media/articles/2021-09-03/noaa-aircraft-gather-data-hurricane-ida-during-and-after-storm">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> and its fleet of storm-chasing aircraft. While most aircraft were avoiding the storm, NOAA's Gulfstream IV-SP and Lockheed WP-3D Orions flew a total of nine missions in and above the storm to gather data."These missions gathered critical data for both forecasting the storm's track and intensity as well as conducting research to improve our understanding of how and why hurricanes rapidly intensify," NOAA said in a statement. And after the storm cleared, a NOAA aircraft was used to survey and photograph the damage in an effort to assist federal, state, and local agencies with recovery efforts. Independent organizations including Operation Airdrop, Aerobridge, and Angel Flights also ferried in supplies using donated aircraft to aid in the recovery, as <a href="https://www.flyingmag.com/hurricane-ida-aviation-recovery/">Flying Mag</a> reported. <h2>Reuniting countries with the US after nearly two years</h2><div type="image" title="US borders reopening November 8, 2021" height="1702" width="2269" msid="88618921" hostid="261"></div>For most of 2021, <keyword id="11896628" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="travel" source="Orion">travel</keyword>ers from most of Europe, South Africa, and Brazil were largely barred from entering the US under travel restrictions initially imposed by the Trump administration and renewed by the Biden administration. Those restrictions kept the US closed off while affected countries opened their doors to American citizens early on in 2021. The Biden administration finally eased those restrictions with a reopening date of November 8. Foreign travelers rushed to purchase airline tickets in the hopes of reuniting with friends, family members, and loved ones in the US.Airport arrival halls were packed with Americans that were once again able to host their foreign visitors after nearly two years of separation. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways also marked the occasion by performing a joint takeoff from London's Heathrow Airport bound for New York. "Today is about celebrating the UK-US reopening of the transatlantic corridor after more than 600 days of separation," Sean Doyle, British Airways' chief executive officer, said on the day. "Being able to bring families, friends, and businesses back together is part of closing this chapter and celebrating what's to come."

From shipping the COVID-19 vaccine to rescuing thousands of Afghan refugees, aviation helped mitigate some of the worst crises of 2021

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="233793" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="air-cargo">Air cargo</keyword> carriers are gearing up to transport a vaccine for the novel coronavirus if one is approved, in the second COVID-19 airlift of 2020.</li><li>Each vaccine comes with its own requirements for shipping, with Pfizer's being among the most challenging as it requires storage temperatures of -94 degrees Fahrenheit, presenting a problem for aircraft.</li><li>Vaccines from Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson can more easily be transported as they have less strict temperature requirements. </li><li>Over-the-road trucking will also play a large role in distribution as a safer method of transport than airplanes for some vaccines.</li><li>The vaccine comes with security concerns as vaccines will be the most sought-after drugs post-approval.</li></ul>A vaccine to end the coronavirus pandemic is nearing the finish line and getting it from the manufacturing point to the injection site will be one of the cargo <keyword id="31907" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Aviation">aviation</keyword> industry's most consequential missions to date. In the pandemic's nascent period, the most valuable commodity was personal protective equipment. The easy-to-transport essentials like face masks, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper replaced passengers on the world's aircraft and airlines quickly began converting their <keyword id="6367788" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="planes">planes</keyword> to makeshift freighters, <keyword id="52392" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Flying">flying</keyword> as much cargo as possible in the first COVID-19 pandemic airlift. Now, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-says-coronavirus-vaccine-effective-will-submit-to-fda-eua-2020-11">Pfizer</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moderna-coronavirus-vaccine-works-to-prevent-covid-19-company-says-2020-11">Moderna</a> are close to declaring success with their COVID-19 vaccines that are at least 90% effective and nearing emergency authorization. Both companies have said they'll seek the green light for their vaccines soon, as early as Friday, at which point regulators will begin the potentially weeks-long review process. Anticipating a positive result, airlines are once again preparing to take to the skies in yet another global cargo-transporting endeavor— one that has the potential to end the pandemic but nevertheless presents its own set of problems.<h2>How airlines are preparing</h2>Only certain airlines have the infrastructure and certifications to fly vaccines and pharmaceutical cargo, both of which have special handling requirements that vary by product. Airlines who saw the writing on the wall began improving their pharmaceutical handling capabilities early in the pandemic to be ready for this airlift.Read more:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-vaccine-cargo-airline-logistics-winners-losers-2020-11?r=tp-sub"> 6 cargo airlines and freight operators poised to win big when Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine is ready to go</a>In the US, FedEx Express and UPS Airlines have built freezer farms at their respective hubs in Memphis and Louisville.The Louisville farm, along with another newly-constructed facility in the Netherlands, will be able to store 48,000 vials of vaccine at -112-degree Fahrenheit temperatures, as<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-vaccine-cargo-airline-logistics-winners-losers-2020-11?r=tp-sub#winner-fedex-3"> Business Insider's David Slotnick reported</a>. FedEx Express also grew its infrastructure to 90 cold storage facilities scattered across nearly every populated continent and added to its fleet of freezers, refrigerator trucks, and sensors. The Middle Eastern mega carriers will also play a major role in transporting the vaccine, utilizing their extensive passenger and cargo route networks to reach every corner of the globe. Earlier this year, Emirates SkyCargo shifted its entire cargo operation from Dubai's Al Maktoum International Airport to Dubai International Airport, freeing up an entire cargo processing facility at the former that's now been dedicated to vaccine transport for once the airlift begins. Julian Sutch, Emirates SkyCargo's global manager for pharma, described the facility to Business Insider as "world's largest dedicated air site distribution hub." And despite the surrounding desert climate, it boasts cold storage capacity of "4,600 pallets at a temperature of 2 to 8 degrees."Qatar Airways Cargo signed a leasing agreement in September for more<a href="https://apps.skycell.ch/qatar-airways-cargo-signs-agreement-with-skycell-for-hybrid-pharma-containers/"> temperature-controlled shipping containers produced by Skycell</a>, increasing its daily temperature-controlled cargo processing capability by 270 units at Hamad International Airport. The hub is also equipped with a 30,000-square foot facility with temperature-controlled zones going as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit or 2 degrees Celsius. These facilities can't keep the Pfizer vaccine at its preferred -94 degrees Fahrenheit but they won't need to, according to Sutch, as Pfizer's vaccine will be packed to survive up to 10 days in exterior temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius or 68 degrees Fahrenheit.<div type="image" title="DHL Cargo Plane" height="1671" width="2228" msid="79324454" hostid="261"></div>"We have specially designed, temperature-controlled shippers utilizing dry ice to maintain recommended temperature conditions up to 10 days unopened," the Pfizer spokesperson said.To maximize that 10-day span, Pfizer will work closely with its chain to ensure seamless transfers along the way. Pharma cargo can already be processed at a quicker rate than normal cargo, according to Sutch, and airlines will pull out the stops to ensure the fastest delivery times.Quick ramp transfers, for example, allow cargo planes to park "tail to tail" so containers are seamlessly unloaded one from one plane and get immediately reloaded to another. "Generally anywhere in our network - let's say we're uplifting from Brussels - we can get that cargo to destination within two to three days, maximum," Sutch said. Passenger airlines will also take part in the airlift, using a mixture of cargo-only and scheduled passenger flights to move the vaccine. The big three US carriers are likely participants thanks to their existing pharmaceutical capabilities and are formulating procedures for when the day comes. "We've also put a team in place over the past couple of months to develop our preparation for vaccines," Chris Busch, managing director for United Cargo, told Business Insider. "In that, we've even further enhanced the priority and the tracking that we would have for a vaccine shipment." Not knowing which one will cross the finish line first, United has developed standard operating procedures for each of the frontrunners. The extent to which the airline can participate will ultimately depend on the shipping requirements from the drug's manufacturer. Delta Air Lines similarly has a vaccine task force that's working with the pharmaceutical industry and government agencies in preparation for the first approval, an airline spokesperson told Business Insider. Delta Cargo already has<a href="https://www.deltacargo.com/Cargo/catalog/products/specialized-pharma?from=home"> four pharma-specific shipping options</a> and has expanded the cooling capabilities in its Atlanta warehouse.Airlines are also looking back to manufacturers including Airbus and Boeing, as well as government regulators such as the Federal Aviation Administration, for any wiggle room in the top limiting factor for frozen vaccine <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation">transportation</keyword>: dry ice.<h2>Transporting a frozen vaccine</h2>Pfizer's vaccine will be among the first to cross the finish line and while that's good <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> for a pandemic-stricken world, it can be a logistical hassle for the shippers tasked with transporting it around the globe. As Pfizer says it must be kept at -94 degrees Fahrenheit (-70 Celsius), well below requirements for its competitors, and necessitating use of the dry ice containers."The only way to keep vaccines at that temperature for any period of time is using vast quantities of dry ice," Neel Jones Shah, global head of airfreight at Flexport, told Business Insider. "It's the only way."Though a tried and true substance for shipping, dry ice is actually classified as a dangerous good as it sublimates and turns directly from solid ice into gaseous carbon dioxide. As it can potentially incapacitate the passengers and crew on an airplane, carriers are severely restricted in how much dry ice they can load onto a plane. <div type="image" title="cargo plane masks ppe" height="1176" width="1568" msid="79324457" hostid="261"></div>A Boeing 777 Freighter, for example, can only carry around 6,000 kilograms of dry ice, Sutch said. While that seems like a generous allowance, it's actually a small portion of a freighter's total capacity. Emirates' 777 Freighters have a cargo payload of 107,000 kilograms each and the containers carrying the vaccine will hold around 23 kilograms of dry ice each, according to Sutch. That means Pfizer's vaccine can only fill 5% of the plane's total capacity.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-is-developing-powder-version-of-its-covid-19-vaccine-2020-11?r=tp-sub">Pfizer's top scientist tells us the pharma giant is already thinking about a new version of its coronavirus vaccine for 2021 that can overcome one of its biggest limitations</a>And as Pfizer's vaccine will require two-doses for recipients, the distribution process is further complicated as they'll have to ship twice the amount of drug. For a vaccine like Pfizer's, more planes will be required, not just more cargo space. But not all vaccines require such high quantities of dry ice or a double dose. Moderna's candidate, for example, has a<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moderna-coronavirus-vaccine-temperature-stored-in-standard-refrigerator-2020-11"> 30-day shelf life when stored between 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit</a> frozen at a temperature of -4 degrees, it can last for six months. Johnson &amp; Johnson's requires storage at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, or around 35 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit. "We will see full freighters of COVID vaccines flying around, but not ones currently that are using dry ice," Sutch said.<h2>An over-the-road solution for an expensive endeavor</h2>While we won't likely be seeing entire planeloads of the Pfizer vaccine, we will be seeing truckloads. Two of Pfizer's manufacturing centers for the vaccine are in Michigan and Belgium, centrally located in their respective continents so much so that over-the-road trucks may be used to transport the vaccine more effectively than planes. Trucks have better ventilation capabilities than aircraft, Shah says, allowing them to hold more of the dry ice-cooled cargo without posing a danger to the drivers. Vaccines are kept in shipping containers that are separate from the trucks as they're driven so once the vaccines arrive by air, they'll be trucked to their destination. "The intent is to utilize Pfizer-strategic transportation partners to ship by air to major hubs within a country/region and by ground transport to dosing locations," a Pfizer spokesperson told Business Insider in an email. And for the regions where Pfizer is making the vaccine, trucks may replace aircraft entirely. Team truck driving - where drivers take turns driving one truck to minimize the journey time - can see the vaccine transported from Michigan to the far edges of the US in just a few days, according to Shah. The same goes for Belgium with Europe.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-covid-vaccine-cold-chain-delivery-texas-tennessee-temperature-trial-2020-11">Pfizer picks 4 US states to trial transporting its COVID-19 vaccine at temperatures far below freezing. It's a key test of the 'cold chain' the vaccine will rely on.</a>Johnson &amp; Johnson also has plans for over-the-road trucking to play a role in intra-country transport. Using its existing distribution network, transporting a COVID-19 vaccine is no different than moving most of its current medicines, says Luis Roman, Global Vice President, Deliver at The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson &amp; Johnson."The candidate and the specifications that we're putting around it are really the standard vaccine distribution channels that we see globally," Roman told Business Insider. "And it's not going to require a new infrastructure to get it to the people that need it."<div type="image" title="covid vaccine" height="2513" width="3351" msid="79324460" hostid="261"></div>Regardless of the method of transportation, pharmaceutical companies will likely be shelling out more this time around than they've ever needed to for a particular drug. Cargo space has been at a premium in recent months as passenger airlines grounded their international operations, taking away valuable cargo capacity in the holds of their aircraft. "For all of these pharmaceutical companies, for sure, it might be the most expensive supply chain they'll ever run," Shah said.<h2>Addressing challenges in getting the vaccine to remote areas</h2>The higher temperature-control requirements will undoubtedly make any vaccine more difficult to get to remote regions of the world but are just the tip of the iceberg as security concerns are rife in underdeveloped countries.The vaccine will be among the most sought after drugs in the world as it represents shelter from the virus and a return to normal life. Shippers are concerned about hijacking attempts, according to Shah, and discussing what preventative measures can be taken as groups try to get vaccines for themselves, sell it on the black market, or demand ransom from authorities.Read more:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unanswered-questions-about-pfizers-coronavirus-vaccine-what-we-dont-know-2020-11"> 7 unanswered questions about the coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna</a>Johnson &amp; Johnson told Business Insider that using its existing supply chain will minimize this risk by working directly with countries to distribute the vaccine. This isn't a new frontier for the company and the vaccine won't be going to any nation Johnson &amp; Johnson hasn't been before. While developing the vaccine in record time was a feat of science, getting to the end-user is shaping up to be a feat of logistics.

Inside the COVID-19 vaccine airlift: How cargo carriers plan to distribute the world's soon-to-be most valuable drugs to market

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="137254" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="United-Airlines">United Airlines</keyword> flew the first doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine last week, the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-begins-flying-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-11606512293">Wall Street Journal</a> reported on Friday.</li><li>The Pfizer vaccine is uniquely difficult to transport as it has strict below-freezing temperature requirements that require the use of dry ice, a dangerous good to transport in the aviation industry.</li><li>United and the Federal Aviation Administration worked to alleviate the dry ice restrictions to fly as much of the vaccine as possible on each flight. </li></ul>The COVID-19 vaccine has taken flight en route to the US. Pfizer has tasked United Airlines with transporting the first doses of its vaccine to the US, the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-begins-flying-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-11606512293">Wall Street Journal</a> reported on Friday, in preparation for an expected emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration scheduled to come in the upcoming weeks.A chartered Boeing 777-200 aircraft filled with the pandemic-ending drugs first flew on Friday, the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-begins-flying-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-11606512293">Journal</a> reported, traveling from Brussels, Belgium to Chicago, a United hub. Unlike the daily United passenger flight between the two cities, Pfizer would have likely had the entire plane to itself as a dedicated charter.United set up a vaccine task force earlier this year for this very possibility and had crafted standard operating procedures for each vaccine as it wasn't initially clear which one would cross the finish line first. In November, it became clear that the two leading contenders would be Pfizer and Moderna.But transporting Pfizer's vaccine came with a problem: its below-freezing storage temperature requirement of -94 degrees Fahrenheit. Drugs with requirements that far below-freezing are packed with dry ice to keep them at temperature, presenting <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-covid-19-vaccine-airlift-how-cargo-carriers-are-preparing-2020-11">a problem for airlines tasked with flying them</a>. Dry ice is classified as a dangerous good in aviation as it sublimates from a solid to gaseous carbon dioxide, which can incapacitate the flight crew and passengers. Regulators limit how much dry ice can be flown on cargo and passenger planes but given the unique circumstances, carriers have request exemptions to these limits in order to fly more vaccine doses in the upcoming airlift to transport doses around the world. Read more:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-vaccine-cargo-airline-logistics-winners-losers-2020-11?r=tp-sub"> 6 cargo airlines and freight operators poised to win big when Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine is ready to go</a>The Federal Aviation Administration granted United an exemption to the dry ice limitation, according to the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-begins-flying-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-11606512293">Journal</a>, allowing the airline to fly more of the drug than it normally would have. As the flight was a charter, no other passengers were onboard, and only essential crew were looking after the aircraft during the flight."The FAA is working with manufacturers, air carriers, and airport authorities to provide guidance on implementing current regulatory requirements for safely transporting large quantities of dry ice in <keyword id="233793" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="air-cargo">air cargo</keyword>," the regulator said in a statement emailed to Business Insider.United is now allowed to fly up to 15,000 pounds of dry ice on the Boeing 777-200, according to the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-begins-flying-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-11606512293">Journal</a>, five times the previously allowed limit for the wide-body aircraft. The shipping containers carrying Pfizer's vaccine have around 23 kilograms, or around 50 pounds, of dry ice packed inside of them, according to Julian Sutch, Emirates SkyCargo's global manager for pharma, in a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-covid-19-vaccine-airlift-how-cargo-carriers-are-preparing-2020-11">previous interview with Business Insider</a>.Although operating cargo-only flights with no passengers, the Chicago-based airline still has to comply with regulations for passenger airliners such as the Boeing 777-200, according to Chris Busch, managing director for United Cargo in the Americas, in a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-covid-19-vaccine-airlift-how-cargo-carriers-are-preparing-2020-11">previous interview with Business Insider</a>. And even without passengers, all freight flown by United flies in the belly cargo hold and not the passenger cabin.Most, if not all major airlines with pharmaceutical-carrying capabilities are gearing up to potentially <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-covid-19-vaccine-airlift-how-cargo-carriers-are-preparing-2020-11">participate in the life-saving airlift</a> as more vaccine candidates enter the authorization process. But unlike the first mass transport of COVID-19 supplies that saw anybody with a plane transport personal protective equipment from China, aircraft operators will face hurdles including adequate storage and limited onboard space thanks to the dry ice limitations of each aircraft.Pfizer taking the steps to move around the vaccine before its authorization shows the confidence the drug-maker has in the product. Chartering a Boeing 777 can quite easily cost tens of thousands of dollars per hour and multi-day international trips can easily add up, especially as cargo space is now yielding a premium during the pandemic.Now that it's in the US, Pfizer will rely on over-the-road trucks for regional <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation">transportation</keyword> to its storage facilities until the Food and Drug Administration passes down an approval that will see immediate distribution as the US begins the long journey to herd immunity.Trucks can better deal with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-covid-19-vaccine-airlift-how-cargo-carriers-are-preparing-2020-11">transporting a frozen vaccine</a> as they have higher dry ice limitations than aircraft. From Chicago or one of Pfizer's storage facilities, the vaccine can be on either coast in a matter of days using team-truck driving.The Food and Drug Administration is expected to grant Pfizer's emergency authorization request <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-vaccine-timeline-when-will-they-get-authorized-shots-start-2020-11">as early as December 10</a>, with Moderna <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moderna-coronavirus-covid-vaccine-emergency-use-authorization-fda-2020-11">set to file for emergency authorization</a> on Monday.

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