Edmonton International Airport (EIA) welcomed a cargo flight containing medical supplies for Alberta’s fight against COVID-19.
The medical supply flight departed Shanghai, China on Sunday, Apr. 12 and landed in Edmonton early Monday morning at the Cargojet facility at EIA. The Cargojet flight carried personal protective equipment being sent to protect Alberta medical workers and first responders. The flight, arranged by Alberta Health Services, was welcomed to Edmonton by Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Kaycee Madu and EIA President and CEO Tom Ruth.
This flight was made possible by committed staff members in the health care, airline, logistics and aviation supply chains. Their expertise in working safely while ensuring essential goods are shipped is deeply valued by all members of this initiative.
“Our government is working very hard on an ongoing basis to secure the personal protective equipment required to keep our health care, continuing care and seniors care workers safe. The arrival of these supplies is a testament to that work, and I want to thank all our partners involved in the process including Edmonton International Airport.”
Kaycee Madu, minister of municipal affairs, Government of Alberta
“Cargojet and its team of air cargo professionals are very proud to have operated this relief flight bringing much needed PPE and other supplies to the people of Alberta. We are very pleased to be able to provide critical air cargo transportation and to assist in Canada’s fight against COVID-19.”
Dr. Ajay K. Virmani, president and CEO of Cargojet.
“In this challenging time for our region and the world, Edmonton International Airport and our airline partners continue to operate scheduled air cargo services in Edmonton, with additional charter services. EIA’s robust cargo strengths support critical supply chains for medical, pharmacy, food and other essential supplies. Although, our passenger movements are substantially down, our cargo movements continue to grow and have never been more important to our community.”
Tom Ruth, president and CEO of EIA
The air cargo shipment from Shanghai was executed with a Boeing 767 freighter cargo aircraft operated by Canadian company Cargojet. EIA and its cargo partners were recently certified as the only airport community in Canada to receive the coveted IATA CEIV Pharma certification, and with this approval, they can now handle the most sensitive medical cargo, including shipments that need strict temperature controls. This international designation ensures EIA will continue prospering as a global-scale gateway that will welcome future medical supply flights as well as other essential, time sensitive products.
This fight is an example of how vital airports and air service are to our Edmonton regional community of 1.4 million people as well as the air linkages to the many northern communities that we serve, both during this COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
