Dubai’s Emirates launches India humanitarian airbridge to transport Covid-19 relief items

Dubai’s Emirates has set up a humanitarian airbridge between the emirate and India to transport urgent medical and relief items to the latter.

The first shipment sent as part of the Emirates India humanitarian airbridge is a consignment of over 12 tons of multi-purpose tents from the World Health Organization (WHO), sent to Delhi, and coordinated by the International Humanitarian City (IHC) in Dubai.

The aim is to support India in its fight to control the Covid-19 situation in the country. Emirates will offer cargo capacity free of charge on an ‘as available’ basis on all of its flights to nine cities in India, helping international NGOs deliver relief supplies where required.

Emirates SkyCargo has already been transporting medicines and medical equipment on scheduled and charter cargo flights to India in recent weeks, a statement said.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates’ chairman and chief executive, said: “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. 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.”

“The creation of the humanitarian airbridge between Dubai and India, facilitated by Emirates SkyCargo, Dubai’s International Humanitarian City and UN agencies, to transport urgent medical and relief items, is another example of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s vision for the IHC, being brought to life,” said Giuseppe Saba, CEO of International Humanitarian City. “Last year over 1,292 shipments were dispatched from the IHC in Dubai, setting the standard for humanitarian response globally.”

Emirates has helped transport thousands of tonnes of PPE and other medical supplies over the last year by introducing additional cargo capacity through its modified mini freighters with seats removed from Economy Class on Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft along with loading cargo on seats and in overhead bins inside passenger aircraft to transport urgently required materials.

Emirates SkyCargo has also partnered with UNICEF and other entities in the emirate through the Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance, to transport Covid-19 vaccines to developing nations through Dubai.

Read: Dubai launches logistics alliance to distribute 2 billion Covid-19 vaccine shots in 2021

Close to 60 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been transported on Emirates’ flights, equating to nearly 1 in 20 of all vaccine doses administered around the world.