A British Airways relief flight carrying vital aid and emergency supplies for Haiti has delivered its much needed cargo.
The B747, operated by volunteer flight and cabin crew, left Heathrow on Saturday 16th January at around 08.30 with 10 tonnes of Oxfam aid on board including water, water purification tablets, tents, buckets and basic necessities.
The flight - BA 9116C - flew to Billund in Denmark, where it picked up 40 tonnes of cargo from UNICEF. The operation on the ground took nearly four hours as the aid had to be trucked from Copenhagen to Billund.
The flight then continued to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, arriving just after midnight (local time) on Sunday 17th January. The aid was off-loaded and was transported to nearby Haiti by road.
To speed up the unloading at Santo Domingo and ease congestion, the decision was made to deploy the emergency chutes to off-load the cargo in the aircraft cabin.
British Airways World Cargo also provided a Boeing 747-400F Freighter on Friday 22nd January that carried approximately 100 tonnes of emergency supplies to Santo Domingo. The shipment containing aid destined for Haiti was carried on behalf of Oxfam, UNICEF and the World Food Programme.
British Airways’ chief executive Willie Walsh, said: “The situation in Haiti is desperate and we must do what we can to help. Time is of the essence and we must move swiftly to help those devastated by this disaster.”
Cabin Crew are currently collecting donations onboard all British Airways flights in aid of the UNICEF Haiti Earthquake Children’s Appeal as part of the ongoing British Airways Change for Good appeal. Donations, however small, can be made in any currency and should be handed to cabin crew in the Change for Good envelope found onboard.
Donations can be made online to the UNICEF Haiti Earthquake Children's Appeal. Your donation will help provide supplies to allow access to adequate sanitation, safe water and basic health care for affected children and families.