NEW DELHI: With India preparing to roll out Covid-19 vaccines soon, the aviation regulator Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday issued guidelines to all aircraft operators who plan to transport vaccines packed in dry ice to various parts of the country.
All scheduled operators, who have been currently authorised to carry dangerous goods, may carry Covid-19 vaccines packed in dry ice, meeting the regulatory requirements, the guidelines added. Dry ice transforms into carbon dioxide gas at temperatures higher than -78 degrees Celsius under normal atmospheric pressure and, therefore, it is classified as “dangerous goods” by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), it said.
“It is needless to say that among the various modes of transport, air transport is the most efficient option. Hence, it is imperative that air logistics provide a well-defined procedure that meets the global safety standards and requirements based on local conditions,” the DGCA said.
Explaining the need to package the vaccines with dry ice, the DGCA said the temperature maintenance requirement for vaccines is reported to be varying from -8° C to -70° C and hence, the use of refrigerant material during the transportation becomes essential.