Transplants, from this year the organs will be able to travel on all the national routes of the main airlines

ROME – From this year, organs intended for transplants will be able to travel on domestic air routes operated by all major national airlines. It is the result of a joint effort by Enac And National Transplant Center (Cnt) which has received the participation of Aeroitalia, Easyjet, ITA Airways, Neos, Poste Italiane cargo, Ryanair and Vueling. The announcement was made this morning to the States General of the Italian transplant network, which is underway in Rome until tomorrow.

How will the operational part work. In the past, the use of commercial flights to transport organs was limited to an operational protocol between the CNT and the old Alitalia, later inherited by ITA Airways. Thanks to the new agreement, the procedure will be unified and extended to the other companies as well, allowing the CNT operations room to quickly opt for boarding on the first useful flight on the connecting route between the airport of the city in whose hospital the blood collection took place organ and the airport closest to the transplant center that will perform the surgery. The kidneys will travel in particular, which among the organs taken for transplantation are the ones that can last the longest outside the human body and whose transport does not necessarily require the presence of health personnel. The protocol will also allow for the movement of biological samples to be delivered to the laboratories of the transplant network for the clinical evaluations necessary for the recipient organs and patients. The airlines have already provided full contact details for the operator and details of the transport arrangements for individual carriers are now being finalised.

An upgrade of the logistics network. “One of the main tasks of the Cnt is to guarantee the transport of organs at the highest level of safety and in the shortest possible time – added the general director of the Cnt Massimo Cardillo – and from today the transplant network will be able to count on an important strengthening of its network logistics. ENAC’s commitment and the availability of the airlines to support the daily work of the operators of our centers will allow the many patients on the waiting list to receive the transplant they need even faster”. “A large network of companies – commented the general manager of Enac Alessio Quaranta – at the service of citizens and health: civil aviation thus confirms its willingness to guarantee a rapid connection that cuts down distances and times for an effective health service and fast”.