Emirates sets up Dubai-India humanitarian airbridge for relief supplies

May 10, 2021: Emirates has set up a humanitarian airbridge between Dubai and India to transport urgent medical and relief items, to support India in its fight to control the serious Covid-19 situation in the country.

"Emirates will offer cargo capacity free of charge on an as-available basis on all of its flights to nine cities in India, to help international NGOs rapidly deliver relief supplies, where it is needed. In the past weeks, Emirates SkyCargo has already been transporting medicines and medical equipment on scheduled and charter cargo flights to India," reads the release. 

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates' chairman and chief executive, said, "Emirates has a lot of experience in humanitarian relief efforts, and with 95 weekly flights to 9 destinations in India, we will be offering regular and reliable widebody capacity for relief materials. The International Humanitarian City in Dubai is the largest crisis relief hub in the world and we will work closely with them to facilitate the movement of urgent medical supplies."

The first shipment sent as part of the Emirates India humanitarian airbridge is a consignment of over 12 tonnes of multi-purpose tents from the World Health Organization (WHO), destined for Delhi, and coordinated by the IHC in Dubai.

Giuseppe Saba, CEO of International Humanitarian City, said, "The creation of the humanitarian airbridge between Dubai and India, facilitated by Emirates SkyCargo, Dubai's International Humanitarian City and UN agencies, to transport urgent medical and relief items, is another example of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid's vision for the IHC, being brought to life. Last year over 1,292 shipments were dispatched from the IHC in Dubai, setting the standard for humanitarian response globally. We appreciate the great efforts by IHC's partner Emirates SkyCargo establishing this humanitarian airbridge between Dubai and India in this time of need".

The freight division of Emirates has a close partnership with IHC, developed over several years of delivering relief materials to communities across the world impacted by natural disasters and other crises.    IHC will support Emirates SkyCargo in channelling relief efforts to India through the airbridge.

In addition, Emirates SkyCargo has partnered with UNICEF and other entities in Dubai through the Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance, to transport Covid-19 vaccines rapidly to developing nations through Dubai. So far, close to 60 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been transported on Emirates' flights, equating to nearly 1 in 20 of all Covid-19 vaccine doses administered around the world.