Airbus Foundation and Red Cross aid flight to Malawi

[Airbus Deutschland GmbH - 06.02.2015] Airbus Foundation and Red Cross aid flight to Malawi

Airbus A330 delivers 33 tonnes of aid to victims of Cyclone Bansi
The Airbus Corporate Foundation has used an Airbus A330 test aircraft to transport 33 tonnes of equipment (some, 3,000 kitchen sets, 9,000 mosquito nets and 4,000 tarpaulins) from Las Palmas, Spain to Lilongwe, Malawi, to provide emergency shelter after the countrys worst floods in nearly a quarter of a century left thousands homeless. (c) Airbus Corporate Foundation
The Airbus Corporate Foundation has used an Airbus A330 test aircraft to transport 33 tonnes of equipment (some, 3,000 kitchen sets, 9,000 mosquito nets and 4,000 tarpaulins) from Las Palmas, Spain to Lilongwe, Malawi, to provide emergency shelter after the countrys worst floods in nearly a quarter of a century left thousands homeless.
The relief mission was organized jointly between the Airbus Foundation and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). An Airbus A330 flight test aircraft, collected relief aid in the IFRCs hub in Las Palmas, Spain and arrived in Lilongwe, Malawi, on the morning of Thursday February 5th.
When Cyclone Bansi hit Malawi in mid-January, floods left hundreds dead, over 120,000 individuals homeless and crops devastated. Malawi was the worst affected of three Southeast African countries hit by heavy rainstorms. The Malawi Government has called for international aid and estimates that the current disaster will be 10 times more expensive for the country as the flooding in March 1991, which was then the country's costliest weather-related disaster.
"Time is of the essence in responding to natural disasters. The sooner we can deliver relief supplies to affected communities, the sooner they can start to recover and regain their dignity," said Birgitte Olsen, Head of Global Logistics Service at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. "The 33 tonnes of supplies that we delivered with Airbus to Malawi in the wake of recent floods will bring immediate relief to thousands of vulnerable people. We are grateful to Airbus Foundation for their continued support as our partner in humanitarian service."
"The Airbus Foundation regularly organises missions with airlines and Non-Governmental Organisations to deliver humanitarian goods and equipment to people in distress brought about by natural disasters all over the world", said Andrea Debbane, Executive Director of the Airbus Foundation. "We wish to thank our partners Nordisk, the IFRC and the Red Cross in Spain and Malawi for their help in collecting and distributing this essential equipment in Malawi."
The Airbus Foundation and the IFRC have been working together since 2011 and have coordinated many missions since.
Since its launch in December 2008, the Airbus Foundation has completed 40 relief or goodwill flights to destinations around the globe and has built up a global network of airlines and relief organisations to support international humanitarian causes.
About the Airbus Corporate Foundation
The Airbus Corporate Foundation includes Airbus, Airbus Helicopters and Airbus Defence and Space as founding and contributing members. The foundation is the Airbus Group's vehicle for corporate citizenship worldwide, chaired by Tom Enders, CEO of Airbus Group.

Contact
Linda Low
IFRC
+41 22 730 4288
Daniel Werdung
Airbus Group
+49 89 607 34275
Stefan Schaffrath
Airbus +33 6 16 09 55 92