Air Partner, the global aviation services group, recently carried out an urgent aid delivery to Haiti on behalf of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The much-needed supplies were delivered to support the victims of Hurricane Matthew, which battered the country in early October. The storm is the strongest to have hit Haiti in over 50 years and the UN estimates that there are around 350,000 people in need of assistance.
The IFRC called upon Air Partner to ensure that the essential aid – including hygiene kits, buckets, tarpaulins, shelter tool kits and kitchen sets for approximately 1,000 families - reached the devastated country in the most efficient and time-effective way possible.
Air Partner arranged the charter of a B767 Freighter direct from Panama, where the IFRC’s Americas Regional Logistics Warehouse is located, to Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince. Ensuring slots and handling were available at the congested Haiti airport was a challenge, but the team was able to leverage its network of contacts to lock these down.
Mike Hill, Air Partner’s Director of Freight, commented: “Air Partner’s Freight team has extensive experience in arranging time-critical shipments, and in circumstances such as these, we work around the clock to ensure critical supplies reach those in need as quickly as possible. Our thoughts are with all of those who have been affected by this devastating tragedy.”
Mauricio Bustamante, Head of the IFRC’s Americas Regional Logistics Unit, said: “We would like to thank Air Partner for the excellent service provided to us in the transportation of humanitarian supplies to Haiti. In the event of any natural disaster, speed is of the essence and it’s extremely important that we have experienced suppliers such as Air Partner on-hand to help us get aid on the ground as soon as possible.”
Air Partner is a valued supplier to many national and international organisations and provides aviation solutions to corporates and governments worldwide, including six of the G8 group of governments, NGOs and aid agencies, as well as international and UK royalty. The Company has significant aid and crisis experience. Air Partner Freight transported over 2000 tonnes of medical supplies, humanitarian aid and hospital building supplies in response to the Ebola crisis, as well as 300 tonnes of aid to Nepal in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake. In 2013, the Group transported 600 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the Philippines when Typhoon Haiyan devastated the region. During the Arab Spring of 2011, which coincided with several natural disasters, Air Partner worked around the clock to evacuate more than 12,000 people from across the Middle East in just six weeks, while also delivering aid to Japan and New Zealand.