Tecnam P2012 repurposed to deliver vaccines

General aviation aircraft manufacturer Tecnam has created a solution to deliver COVID-19 vaccinations anywhere in the world.

The Italian-based company partnered with ultra-freezer manufacturer DESMON to repurpose its P2012 airplane for COVID vaccine transportation.

The aircraft platform, named P2012 TRAVELCARE, was developed to help vaccine distributors worldwide reach even the most remote communities, including areas with underdeveloped transportation infrastructure, according to company officials.

Equipped with DESMON’s ultra-freezer, Tecnam’s P2012 TRAVELCARE can transport as many as 115,000 vaccines to areas with less than 1,850 feet of paved or unpaved runway.

The P2012 TRAVELCARE platform is designed to maintain vaccine temperatures at up to -86°C during transport and -65°C for 10 to 12 hours after the system is unplugged for further distribution. To maintain their effectiveness, the vaccines must be stored at these subzero temperatures.

“As the first vaccine breakthroughs were announced, we realized that the communities in remote areas would face delays in receiving help,” said Tecnam’s Managing Director Giovanni Pascale Langer. “67% of European airports alone have runways shorter than 5,000 feet, making them inaccessible to large aircraft. We decided to act fast.”

The P2012 TRAVELCARE was designed to facilitate “equitable and efficient vaccine distribution,” he added.

“It is our contribution to the fight for a COVID-free world,” he continued. “With the dedicated support of our partners at DESMON, we worked tirelessly to repurpose the P2012 aircraft and meet all the necessary regulations for this special mission within less than a month.”

According to Tecnam officials, the value of the P2012 platform will extend “beyond this mission.”

“Today, it will facilitate the vaccine transportation, tomorrow it will continue to serve communities thanks to its versatility and easy reconfiguration.”