SpiceJet said on Thursday it has signed an agreement with the GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo (GHAC) to ensure delivery of the coronavirus vaccine from the Hyderabad airport to domestic and international markets.

Hyderabad and its surrounding districts have a number of pharmaceutical companies. The Hyderabad airport, which is managed and operated by the GMR group, is expected to be a key hub in transportation of COVID-19 vaccine domestically and globally.

In a release, SpiceJet said as part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the GHAC will provide required space at the Hyderabad airport "on priority" for the airline's vaccine shipments and it will also train the airline's personnel.

"SpiceJet on its part will keep a dedicated fleet of freighters, including wide-body aircraft, at the Hyderabad airport to handle all domestic and international consignments," the release added.

SpiceXPress, the airline’s cargo arm recently launched a service called Spice Pharma Pro to transport extremely sensitive drugs, vaccines, blood samples and medicines in controlled temperatures ranging from -40°c to +25°c. “Besides, the airline also offers a plethora of other benefits such as a network of warehouses equipped with deep freezers to enable change of cool packs and ground vehicles and containers to help transport sensitive cargo,” SpiceJet said. 

As part of this MoU, SpiceXpress the cargo arm of SpiceJet envisions to provide efficient, speedy and reliable solutions for vaccine delivery, while also creating a sustainable cold chain network, according to the release.

"SpiceXpress aims to provide the first mile pick up and last mile delivery to carry COVID 19 vaccines across the domestic and international markets in a temperature-controlled environment," it added.

SpiceJet has already partnered with Om Logistics and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Snowman Logistics.