Govt plans air freight stations to transport coronavirus vaccines

Air freight stations near manufacturing sites will enable direct movement of vaccines to the aircraft

From reducing dwell time at airports to faster overflight and landing permits, India is planning regulatory changes to quicken the procedure of transporting vaccines for Covid-19 from and into the country. The government is considering setting up air freight stations (AFS) to enable direct movement of vaccines from pharmaceutical factories to the aircraft.

An AFS is an off-airport cargo-handling facility that, apart from managing the goods for shipment, reduces congestion at the main airport terminal.

According to the plan, export and import clearances for cargo — including Customs activities like assessment, examination, and duty payment — will be provided at