British Airways issued this statement:
- British Airways, supported by its sister company IAG Cargo, is flying 27 tons of medical aid to Delhi this evening, Wednesday May 5, 2021
- 1,349 items of aid will depart on an aircraft specially chartered byย British Airwaysย andย supported by volunteers from the airlineย to ensure life-saving supplies reach the countryย urgently
- British Airwaysย Chairman andย CEO Sean Doyle says the airlineย has offered the free support as itย โstands with its friends in India as the country endures one of the worst crises it has everย knownโ
As theย humanitarian crisisย in India worsens, British Airways has announced it will fly aย Boeing 777-200ย aircraft loaded with emergency aid to Delhiย this eveningย toย support the Indian government as the country continues to battle rising Coronavirus cases with dwindling oxygen supplies.
The airline commissioned a special project team to organize the flight, which is due to leave on Wednesday May 5 at 5pm (BA257F), landing in Delhi at 5.45am (local time) on Thursday May 6. The aircraft is being loaded with more than a thousand items from the High Commission of India and charities including Khalsa Aid International and the largest Hindu Temple outside of India, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, in Neasden, London. The load includes hundreds ofย urgent life-savingย oxygenย cylindersย and shipments ofย oxygen concentrators,ย respiratorsย and blood oxygen saturation monitors.ย ย British Airwaysย is also donatingย care packagesย forย families in need.
Whileย IAG Cargo and British Airwaysย haveย maintained a vital air link between London and Indiaย throughout the pandemic,ย sendingย aidย on scheduled flights,ย thisย air liftย isย aย specialย charter, fully funded byย the two companies.
Sean Doyle,ย British Airwaysโย Chief Executive and CEO, said:ย โThe British Airways family hasย been deeply affected by the terrible scenes in Indiaย of the deepening humanitarian crisis that has impacted the lives of many of ourย people. We are fortunate to beย in a positionย to help transport aid and I am so proud of the volunteers from across the airlineย and IAG Cargoย who have stepped up to make this happen.ย Weย continue toย standย withย our friends in India as the country endures one of the worst crises it has ever known.โ
British Airwaysย works in partnershipย with the Disasters Emergency Committeeย (DEC), which is organising the UKโs humanitarian response.ย ย Saleh Saeed, Chief Executive ofย theโฏDisasters Emergency Committee,ย said:ย โThe DEC brings together 14 leading UK aid charities to respond quickly and effectively toย disasters, with the fantastic support of partners in the corporate sector, including British Airways. We are hugely grateful to British Airways for springing into action to support our emergency appeals, enabling us to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to people in India and elsewhere across the world when disaster strikes.”
Captain Minesh Patel, a member of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir temple, has been instrumental in helping to organize the flight and is commanding the relief service.ย ย He said: โIt seemed natural to connect British Airways with the wealth of aid and relief material amassed by BAPS in the UK to enable the medical supplies to reach the organizationโs volunteers in India who can provide relief, medical and social aid to the victims in the worst affected regions.”
The airlineโs people haveย alsoย raised several thousand poundsย for the DECโs appealย throughย internalย online donations.
Top Copyright Photo: British Airways Boeing 777-236 ER G-VIIE (msn 27487) LHR (SPA). Image: 936781.
British Airways aircraft slide show (Boeing):
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