Frankfurt pharma hub prepares for Covid vaccine task

As a string of Covid-19 vaccines near approval, Frankfurt Airport staff are gearing up to handle the unprecedented logistical challenge of transporting millions of life-saving doses worldwide. Frankfurt is Europe's largest hub for transporting pharmaceutical goods, and will be key to the success of inoculating millions of people against the deadly coronavirus. "The stress is increasing now that we're entering the 'hot' phase," Karin Krestan, Lufthansa Cargo's director of operations, said during a tour of the temperature-controlled "Cargo Cool Center" terminal. Krestan, who uses her skills as a former nurse, is sure her team is ready for the task. "The processes have been established, we're very confident and we feel well prepared," she said. In fact, Max Philipp Conrady, head of freight infrastructure at Fraport, said: "We've been ready since August". Frankfurt's cargo terminal has been working around the clock since the pandemic began, delivering medicine, surgical gowns and masks and supporting global supply chains as passenger numbers collapsed and airlines grounded planes. The vast temperature-controlled hangar, a few kilometres from the main passenger terminal, handled 120,000 tons of vaccines, drugs and other pharmaceutical products in 2019, airport operator Fraport said. It has 12,000 square metres (129,000 square feet) of temperature-controlled warehouses, essential for storing medicines. Fraport recently boosted investment in high-tech refrigerated "dollies" that transport vaccines from cold-storage hangars to planes, and now have 20 so several freighters can be loaded at the same time. Story has more.<br/>