Lufthansa Germany To Deploy Second Aircraft with Relief Supplies

Lufthansa Cargo will be operating an aid flight to the Philippines on November 22 that will be carrying 55 tons of relief supplies. The flight will be operated by the Lufthansa Group's cargo airline at no charge. 

Image Source: LogisticaLombarda.com

The MD-11 freighter jet will be carrying twice the amount of cargo that was transported to the Philippines on the airline's first special flight last week. The 55 tons of supplies will include urgently needed food packages, water treatment plants, tents, and medical supplies that have been provided by various organizations within the Aktion Deutschland Hilft network including World Vision, Maltese, Help, and Action Medeor. 

The flight is expected to land in Manila where complex logistics will be managed by Lufthansa partner, DHL, that will manage the prompt onward transport of relief goods to the affected areas in cooperation with various aid organizations. DHL has catastrophe relief teams on the ground in Cebu that are currently serving as volunteers handling the incoming relief supplies. 

"Almost a week after the devastating typhoon, the need in the Philippines is still unimaginable," said Karl Ulrich Garnadt, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo. "Together with our partner, 'Aktion Deutschland Hilft' and the organisations involved, we want to provide the people on the ground with professional, pragmatic assistance. Prompt shipments by aircraft are essential for this."

The upcoming Lufthansa Cargo aid flight is the second to be operated by the Lufthansa Group in aid of the victims of Typhoon Haiyan. On November 10, Lufthansa flew 25 tons of urgently needed relief supplies to Manila on board an A340-600 passenger jet. The first flight came at the initiative of a Lufthansa pilot that would have flown the empty aircraft to the Philippines for maintenance. In an unparalleled measure, employees from Lufthansa Group and its affiliates made a voluntary commitment to organise an aid package together with World Vision and I.S.A.R Germany. Thanks to the efforts of employees and volunteers,  the A340-600 aircraft that would have normally travelled for routine maintenance was used instead for a life-saving mission. 

"I would like to thank everyone who, with their great personal dedication, made this flight possible and ensured that the aid supplies arrived quickly at their destination," said Christoph Franz, CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. "We have made a start, but hundreds of thousands of people still need help." He added that the Lufthansa Group will match any amount donated by its employees and called upon everyone to join the efforts.