Emirates launches humanitarian airbridge to Pakistan for flood-relief aid

Emirates launches humanitarian airbridge to Pakistan for flood-relief aid

Emirates SkyCargo has set up an airbridge between Dubai and Pakistan to offer cargo capacity free of charge on flights to transport relief aid to people grappling with the damage caused by the devastating floods.

From today, cargo capacity on all Emirates’ passenger flights to Pakistan will be available to organisations based at the world’s largest humanitarian hub in Dubai, International Humanitarian City (IHC), to transport critical equipment and supplies, food and other emergency relief goods directly to the five airports – Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, and Sialkot.

“Emirates is deeply connected and committed to Pakistan. From our very first flight in 1985 to Karachi until today, we’ve steadily grown the mutually beneficial air links that facilitate business, tourism and trade between the UAE and Pakistan,” HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group chairman and chief executive said.

“HH Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, UAE’s Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, have directed urgent aid to Pakistan, mobilising people and businesses across the UAE, and Emirates is ready to play our part.”

Emirates operates 53 scheduled passenger flights per week to Pakistan, where recent heavy rainfall has caused catastrophic flash flooding across the country, tragically leaving over 1,100 people dead and millions homeless.

Any of the humanitarian organisations at IHC wishing to utilise the free cargo capacity to transport humanitarian relief from Dubai to Pakistan may contact Emirates SkyCargo’s centralized crisis relief desk on emiratescrisisrelief@emirates.com and emergencyresponse@ihc.ae.

In May 2021, Emirates SkyCargo flew relief materials free of charge from Dubai to India over three weeks to support the Indian community in managing the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the Emirates India Humanitarian Airbridge, Emirates donated cargo capacity to transport essential supplies such as relief tents and thousands of oxygen cylinders and concentrators free of charge on flights to Indian destinations.

After the Port of Beirut explosions in August 2020, which devastated many parts of Lebanon’s capital city, Emirates SkyCargo ramped up its freighter operations to Lebanon by dedicating over 50 flights to deliver critical emergency relief and aid to the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the blasts.

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