Air freight carriers fly in Covid aid to India

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), and its sister company British Airways will operate a relief flight to India transporting 27 tonnes of medical aid as the humanitarian crisis caused by the worsening of the country’s Covid-19 pandemic worsens, joining other carriers and logistics companies involved in the relief effort. 

The B777-200 will be loaded with emergency aid to Delhi to support the Indian government as the country continues to battle rising Coronavirus cases, with dwindling oxygen supplies.

A special project team was formed to organise the flight, which is due to leave London Heathrow today at 5pm, landing in Delhi at 5.45am (local time) on Thursday May 6, loaded with more than a thousand items from the High Commission of India and charities including Khalsa Aid International and the largest Hindu Temple outside India, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, in Neasden.

The load includes hundreds of urgent life-saving oxygen cylinders and shipments of oxygen concentrators, respirators and blood oxygen saturation monitors.  British Airways is also donating care packages for families in need. 

While IAG Cargo and British Airways have maintained a vital air link between London and India throughout the pandemic, sending aid items on scheduled flights, this air lift is a special charter, fully funded by the two companies.

John Cheetham, Chief Commercial Officer at IAG Cargo said: “We have all seen the terrible scenes in India of the deepening humanitarian crisis that has impacted the lives of many of our people and our customers. Thank you to the team at IAG Cargo, British Airways and all the charities involved in this project – without their support this special mission providing essential relief to communities in India would not have been possible.”

United Airlines reported last week that United had helped facilitate the first shipment of ventilators from Chicago to Delhi, donated by the US-India Chamber of Commerce DFW to the Indian Red Cross. This is the first of several efforts United will be taking to support India during this time of great need, the US airline said.