United plays key role in fight against COVID

Today marked the start of the road to recovery with the first round of vaccines administered to frontline workers, but it wouldn't be possible with but the folks behind the scenes making sure the vaccines touchdown safely.


United Airlines' Sam Shinohara said they've been working out the logistics for quite some time.


"If we were waiting to prepare for the vaccine shipment just yesterday or over the weekend when it was finally approved we wouldn't have it here on Guam today," he said. "And so, you know, all this work started many many months ago. I think started in the middle of the summer."

In addition to saving countless lives, Shinohara hopes the vaccine's arrival signals the start of the island's economy getting back on its feet.


"It's taken a lot to get this across the goal line," he said. "I think, we're pretty thrilled that Untied Airlines, the hometown carrier here on Guam was able to do this. I think this is the start, it's kind of the beginning of the end for us, if you will. And so, you know, I think this is gonna save lives, for sure. And then, for us, I think it's gonna help get our business going and it's gonna help Guam's economy significantly."

According to Shinohara, Guam's role in recovery efforts is more important than we think.

"I don't think anybody you know, kind of outside my team here on the ground and our cargo ops team around the world understand the pivotal role that Guam has played," he said. "Those cargo missions were carrying precious stuff, not only for Guam but for the balance of the United States mainland. We were carrying much-needed masks, PPE, you know, even the first ventilators that made its way to New York."

And as far as pivotal roles go, United Airlines has played its part in coordination with the Guam Memorial Hosptial to fly in all the extra manpower the island's only public hospital so desperately needed.


"I think it was super important for us to figure out what we could do to help in the fight against COVID and so, I'm not a medical professional, my team is not trained to work at the hospital but man, we can fly people in," Shinohara said. "This was our way to give back and I think it was a meaningful way for us to contribute and every day we look for different ways to contribute. Not just for the recovery, but for the betterment of the island for sure. Being the hometown carrier is not just a moniker, you know, we live and we breathe that every day," he said.