A Boeing 747-400 freighter operated by British cargo airline, CargoLogicAir, departed yesterday carrying 110 tonnes of relief goods on behalf of the UK Government to support the more than 1,000 British troops and Government support staff now helping to deal with the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean.
The flight to Barbados’ Grantley Adams International Airport was organised by UK charter broker, Air Charter Service (ACS). Onboard the CargoLogicAir aircraft was 70 tonnes of bottled water and 40 tonnes of ready-to-eat meals.
For CargoLogicAir, this is its third charter flight carrying humanitarian aid to the Caribbean region in the last seven days. It has already delivered over 200 tonnes of relief goods for the French Government. The earlier flights on 13 and 16 September from Vatry to Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport, Guadeloupe, carried special equipment to restore power supplies on the island as well as bottled water, non-perishable food, sanitary products and other equipment to help rescue workers.
Dmitry Grishin, CEO of CargoLogicAir, said: “In the immediate period after a natural disaster, the first priority is to ensure a fast response to help victims and relief workers by providing basic essentials such as fresh water, food and medical equipment, and to help restore the power, water and communications infrastructure. Once some stability is restored in the region, the next phase will be to begin the huge rebuilding program that is needed across the Caribbean, which is likely to require further air logistics support. With our network into Mexico, we’ll be able to offer more capacity, not only on a charter basis but also by utilizing our regular services into the region.”
