50th PIA special plane airlifts Covid-19 vaccine from China to Pakistan

September 15, 2021: 50th special plane of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has airlifted three million doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines from Beijing Capital International Airport to Islamabad.

"PK-6853 is the 50th special cargo flight since launching of transportation of Covid-19 vaccine by the national flag carrier," Qadir Bux Sangi, PIA Country Manager for China told APP here on Wednesday.

On August 29, the national flag carriers airlifted around 12 million doses of anti-Covid-19 vaccines through its four special cargo flights.

He said that the PIA took the responsibility of airlifting Covid-19 vaccine and is successfully fulfilling the task.

"Today our 50th special flight left for Islamabad with another batch of vaccine", he added.

Sangi said that under the leadership of its Chief Executive Officer Arshad Malik, the national flag carrier has so far airlifted over 63 million doses of the anti-Covid-19 vaccine through 49 special flights.

It is worth mentioning that the government under its mass vaccination drive has set a target to vaccinate 75 million population by end of 2021.

Chinese vaccines namely Sinopharm, Sinovac and CanSino besides other vaccines are being used in the mass vaccination drive.

The health authorities launched the nationwide vaccination drive with around a million doses of Sinopharm vaccine donated by China, starting with older people and frontline healthcare workers, in March this year.

The drive began with a focus on the oldest people in the community, generally over the age of 80, but now the vaccine is being administered to people aged over 18 years.

Islamabad received the first COVID-19 vaccine consignment after a military aircraft transported it from Beijing on February 01, this year.

APP