Air Canada, relief organization Project C.U.R.E., disaster logistics non-profit Airlink, and freight forwarder Flexport have reportedly teamed up to deliver medical aid to Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
A humanitarian special cargo flight operated by Air Canada on behalf of Airlink and other organizations departed from Toronto Pearson International Airport destined for Warsaw, Poland. Through this partnership, hospital beds, and medical supplies, medical and humanitarian supplies were loaded on board the Air Canada Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Along with this, trauma and medical supplies with a destination of a Ukrainian hospital offered by Canadian life-saving and disaster relief humanitarian aid organization GlobalMedic were loaded and onboard.
Once the flight arrives in Poland, Project C.U.R.E. will distribute the supplies to hospitals treating Ukrainian evacuees injured during the war, increasing the capacity of hospitals across border regions.
Over two million people throughout the war-torn country of Ukraine have now left their homes after the invasion to seek safety in neighboring nations. Primary care has been recognized as one of the most pressing needs by aid agencies.
Jason Berry, the Vice President of Cargo at Air Canada expressed that the airline knows from its aid collaborators the crucial necessity for critical humanitarian and medical supplies, and its global collaborator Airlink contacted Air Canada to help in transporting these important items quickly.
Berry noted that both GlobalMedic and Airlink have the teams and infrastructure on the ground to assure that the shipments will rightfully reach their destinations right after the arrival of the flight.
A week ago, medical supplies were acquired from the Illinois warehouse of Project C.U.R.E., transported to Chicago O'Hare airport which was tendered by Flexport to Air Canada. The Air Canada cargo was then transported to its cargo facility at the Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Airlink will help to curb the air transportation cost as an obstacle to NGOs responding to humanitarian crises. The organization used its long-term collaboration with Air Canada to secure the cargo-only flight which made the delivery possible.
Source credit: