FedEx Express, a express transportation company, has delivered its first shipment as a part of Project Airbridge, a public-private partnership managed by the federal government. FedEx has contracted with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide expedited shipping of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Covid-19 relief efforts.FedEx Express aircraft are being used to transport critical PPE supplies from manufacturers around the world to the United States. The operation aims to accelerate delivery of PPE and other medical supplies, moving them via air instead of ocean.This week, in coordination with DuPont, two initial shipments were transported from Vietnam to Texas carrying more than 450,000 Tyvek protective suits. In the weeks to follow, 500,000+ suits will be shipped each week.
FedEx will also operate several flights this week carrying PPE for Medline Industries Inc from China to Illinois. Medline anticipates bringing 7 million facemasks, additional PPE and anesthesia supplies to the United States.“As a company, we are committed to providing our essential services as we help combat this pandemic,” Raj Subramaniam, chief operating officer of FedEx Corporation, said in a press release. Since January, FedEx has worked with governments, non-profits, suppliers and retail customers to proactively help with relief efforts, including: collaborated with HHS, the TN Air National Guard and other agencies to move 4 million Covid-19 test swabs to cities across the US; continued collaboration with humanitarian aid organisations, such as Direct Relief to ship more than 4 million masks and more than one million pieces of personal protective equipment to impacted areas around the world and shipments of masks, gloves and disinfectant wipes to 1,000 community health centres and free clinics in all 50 US states as part of the FedEx Cares “Delivering for Good” initiative; and overnight SenseAware monitored shipments of more than 150,000 test samples from remote test sites around the US to diagnostic labs.The safety of 475,000 FedEx team members is the company’s top priority. In addition to following guidance from public health organisations, FedEx ia: suspending signature requirements for most deliveries to help couriers and customers maintain a safe social distance; promoting social distancing on the job, including measures at security screening, on employee shuttles, and in common areas; and educating team members about prevention, including hygiene and cleaning, via manager meetings, signage and digital monitors in facilities.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (JL)
