Emirates Airline is stepping up efforts to help India in its fight against COVID-19.
It has set up a humanitarian airbridge between Dubai and India to transport urgent medical and relief items.
The first shipment containing over 12 tonnes of multi-purpose tents from the World Health Organisation (WHO) is headed to the Indian capital of Delhi. It’s being coordinated by the IHC in Dubai.
The carrier will also offer free cargo options on an “as available” basis on all flights to nine Indian cities, to help international NGOs deliver relief supplies rapidly.
Over the past weeks, Emirates SkyCargo has helped transport medicines and medical equipment on scheduled and charter cargo flights to India.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates’ Chairman and Chief Executive, highlighted how Emirates is “deeply connected” with India, since the first flight in 1985.
India and @emirates are deeply connected, since our first flights to India in 1985. We stand with the Indian people and will do all we can to help India get back on its feet. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/GK80DMoTui
— HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum (@HHAhmedBinSaeed) May 9, 2021
“We stand with the Indian people and will do all we can to help India get back on its feet. Emirates has a lot of experience in humanitarian relief efforts, and with 95 weekly flights to 9 destinations in India, we will be offering regular and reliable widebody capacity for relief materials,” he said.
“The International Humanitarian City in Dubai is the largest crisis relief hub in the world and we will work closely with them to facilitate the movement of urgent medical supplies.”
In addition, Emirates SkyCargo has partnered with UNICEF and other entities in Dubai through the Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance, to transport COVID-19 vaccines rapidly to developing nations through Dubai.
So far, close to 60 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been transported on Emirates’ flights, equating to nearly 1 in 20 of all COVID-19 vaccine doses administered around the world.
