January 25, 2021 – The president of Aerolíneas Argentinas, Pablo Ceriani (ceriani_pablo), announced today via Twitter:
In connection with the third @Aerolineas_AR flight to Russia, we would like to inform that the flight will be scheduled as soon as possible, once we receive confirmation of all the people involved in the logistics chain making the vaccine transport possible.
This kind of operation demands a coordinated effort to ensure safety in each of the stages, and until each and every stage is confirmed we will not be able to begin with our task: the cargo flight.
Together with our usual flight operation (slots requests, hiring of suppliers, flight permits, etc.) land logistics is also a must, so that no additional time is wasted when loading the vaccines.
Land logistics implies that once the operation is approved, the forwarder shows up at the lab to pack the vaccines in special packages. Then, the vaccines are documented and transported to the airport for customs clearance and subsequent loading onto the aircraft.
All our energy, as well as that of all the areas involved, is set on complying with this vital duty to fight against Covid-19. We will be confirming the next @Aerolineas_AR flight to Russia as soon as we receive the approval of all the people involved in the logistics chain.
It is worth noting that Aerolíneas Argentinas operated two flights to the City of Moscow to transport the Sputnik V vaccine to our country. Those flights brought a total amount of 600,000 doses.
The company is working to operate a third flight which, as the previous flights, will entail a total of 40 uninterrupted hours of operation, from the moment the aircraft departs from Ezeiza International Airport, including its landing in Moscow, the loading time at the airport and the nearly 18 hours of inbound flight.