SpiceJet flight carrying Covishield vaccines reaches Delhi

Updated : January 12, 2021 11:12 AM IST

Four airlines are operating nine flights to transport 56.5 lakh doses of the vaccine from Pune to 13 cities across the country on Tuesday.

The temperature-controlled trucks left the Serum Institute gates shortly before 5 am, carrying 478 boxes of the vaccines.

A SpiceJet flight carrying the vaccines left Pune for Delhi around 8 am.

A decisive phase in India's fight against Coronavirus began on Tuesday as the first consignment of Covishield vaccines reached Delhi, four days ahead of the nationwide inoculation drive launch.

A SpiceJet flight carrying the vaccines left Pune for Delhi around 8 AM, three hours after three trucks with the maiden consignment of the vaccines rolled out of the Serum Institute of India (SII) facility, 15 kms from the airport.

The temperature-controlled trucks left the SII gates shortly before 5 AM, carrying 478 boxes of the vaccines, each box weighing 32 kg, a source involved in the vaccine transport arrangements told PTI.

"I am happy to share that SpiceJet has carried India's first consignment of COVID vaccine today. The first consignment of Covishield consisting of 34 boxes and weighing 1088 kg was carried from Pune to Delhi on SpiceJet flight 8937. We will be carrying multiple vaccine consignments to different Indian cities including Guwahati, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Patna, and Vijayawada throughout the day today. SpiceJet is fully committed and prepared to transport the COVID-19 vaccine both within and outside India. Today marks the beginning of a long and decisive phase in India's fight against the pandemic and SpiceJet is proud to assist in the biggest vaccination drive in the history of mankind," said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet.

Four airlines are operating nine flights to transport 56.5 lakh doses of the vaccine from Pune to 13 cities across the country on Tuesday, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said. The first two flights, operated by SpiceJet and GoAir to Delhi and Chennai, took off from Pune in the morning and the other flights followed shortly.

Civil aviation sector launches yet another momentous mission.
Vaccine movement starts.
First two flights operated by @flyspicejet & @goairlinesindia from Pune to Delhi & Chennai have taken off. pic.twitter.com/uo11S4OvqK — Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) January 12, 2021

The government on Monday placed firm orders in advanced commitments for over 6 crore doses of COVID vaccine from SII and Bharat Biotech for inoculating three crore healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase of the vaccination drive scheduled to start from January 16, together which will cost Rs 1,300 crore.

With inputs from Agencies

SpiceJet flight carrying Covishield vaccines reaches Delhi

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