HYD Airport handles 11,500 units of oxygen concentrators since May 1

May 27, 2021: Starting from May 1, GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo handled more than 11,500 units of oxygen concentrators brought into Hyderabad from across the globe and from other cities in India.

“The shipments have arrived on both scheduled flights as well as special charters as nations, governments, airlines, airports, customs, freight forwarders, ground handlers and all stakeholder joined together to rush the much-needed equipment into India. GHAC has constituted a special task force comprising customs authorities, airlines, freight forwarders and other stakeholders to ensure speedy clearance and handling of Covid relief material consignments,” reads the release.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, GHAC has seamlessly handled several freighters carrying vaccines, medical equipment and Covid relief material like PPE Kits, masks, sanitisers etc.

Recently, GHAC facilitated a large shipment of oxygen concentrators which were donated to the Telangana government by a private organization. KT Rama Rao, minister for municipal administration & urban Development, industry & commerce, information technology, and chief secretary Somesh Kumar, IAS, received them at the cargo terminal.

Apart from oxygen concentrators, GHAC successfully handled two shipments of Sputnik V vaccines from Russia. 1.5 lakh doses on May 1, which was the nation’s first Sputnik V consignment and 60,000 doses on May 16, which required specialised handling and procedures to maintain temperature integrity (-20 deg. C).

Hyderabad region is set to be the single largest concentration of Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing capacities globally, with an estimated 3.6 billion doses of various makes of vaccines expected to be produced by facilities in the region over the next 18-24 months. Starting January 2021, GHAC has handled more than 100 tonnes of Covid vaccines that were distributed from Hyderabad to various parts of the country.

It is also introducing a ‘Cold Super Store’ as part of the extended pharma zone to mitigate any temperature excursions during unloading of pharma shipments.