The first goodwill flight landed Oct. 29 with 31 tonnes of cargo. The shipment traveled from Hamburg to be stored in the United Nation Humanitarian Response facility in Dubai. The food bars will be used to feed children five and under, suffering from malnutrition.
“It is the right time for this partnership as there are still 101 A380 to be delivered to Emirates in the next years,” Fabrice Brégier, Airbus president and CEO, said. “This schedule gives the opportunity to continuously transport relief goods to the UNHRD in Dubai. We also wish to thank our partner Kuehne + Nagel, who will also be providing logistics capabilities in the future and without whom the partnership would not have been possible.”
This is the first long-term agreement the Airbus Corporate Foundation has made with a customer airline for goodwill flights.
“The relationship between Emirates and Airbus began more than 26 years ago and today widens to help people around the world,” Tim Clark, president, Emirates Airline, said. “We are proud to work with the Airbus Corporate Foundation and ACF to facilitate the movement of humanitarian cargo to the regions and people who need it the most. Through this partnership, the maiden flights of up to four Emirates A380s a year will also be goodwill flights arriving in Dubai with relief goods for the UNHRD.”
“This partnership is very valuable to ACF,” Jean-Baptiste Lamarche, logistics director ACF, said. “As one of our privileged partners, the Airbus Foundation helps us to intervene rapidly and efficiently during emergency situations, like after the natural disasters in Haiti in 2010, and recently in the Philippines. This logistical support allows us fulfill our mission, which consists in saving lives and helping the most vulnerable.”