Emirates has launched a humanitarian air bridge between Dubai and India to transport urgent medical and relief supplies to support India in its battle against the severe situation of COVID-19 in the country. Emirates will provide cargo capacity for free "subject to availability" on all its flights from Dubai to nine cities in India to help international NGOs deliver relief supplies quickly to where they are most needed. In recent weeks, Emirates SkyCargo has transported medications and medical equipment on regular and chartered cargo flights to India. The recent air bridge initiative enhances the support Emirates provides to India and to the efforts of NGOs.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chief Executive of Emirates Group, confirmed Emirates’ solidarity with the Indian people and its utmost efforts to help India get back on its feet. He stated, "We have strong ties with India since we launched our first flights there in 1985. We have significant experience in humanitarian relief efforts, and with up to 95 flights weekly to nine destinations in India, we offer substantial regular and reliable capacity for transporting relief materials. We will work closely with the International Humanitarian City in Dubai, the largest humanitarian relief center in the world, to facilitate and expedite the movement of urgent medical supplies."
He added that the first shipment as part of Emirates' humanitarian air bridge to India weighed 12 tons of multipurpose tents provided by the World Health Organization in coordination with the International Humanitarian City in Dubai, and was transported to the capital, Delhi. Giuseppe Saba, the Executive Director of the International Humanitarian City, mentioned that Dubai, hosting the International Humanitarian City, has become capable of assisting the most vulnerable communities and families worldwide, noting that the launch of the humanitarian air bridge between Dubai and India, facilitated by Emirates SkyCargo and the city with UN agencies, is another example of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's vision for this humanitarian edifice. He pointed out that last year, more than 1,292 shipments were sent from the International Humanitarian City in Dubai, setting a standard for humanitarian response globally.
Saba highly appreciated the substantial efforts made by Emirates SkyCargo to establish this humanitarian air bridge between Dubai and India under these challenging circumstances. He clarified that the cargo division of Emirates has a close partnership with the International Humanitarian City developed over several years to deliver relief materials to communities affected by natural disasters and other crises worldwide, and the International Humanitarian City will support Emirates SkyCargo in directing relief efforts to India via the air bridge.
It is noteworthy that Emirates has leveraged its humanitarian logistics expertise to create an air bridge to Lebanon to aid relief efforts following the explosion at the Beirut port last August. Emirates has led the aviation and air cargo industry in efforts to assist markets worldwide in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. It has helped transport thousands of tons of urgent personal protective equipment and other medical supplies across six continents over the past year by quickly modifying its business model and introducing additional cargo capacity using "modified freighter aircraft" and "Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft with economy class seats removed," as well as loading goods onto seats and overhead bins inside passenger aircraft to urgently transport required materials.
Emirates SkyCargo has also collaborated with UNICEF and other entities in Dubai to launch a logistics initiative to rapidly transport COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries via Dubai. To date, Emirates has transported nearly 60 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines on its flights, equivalent to one in every 20 doses administered globally. Through its regular cargo flights to around 140 destinations across continents, Emirates helps maintain the continuous supply chains of vital goods without interruption, such as medical and food supplies.
