Airbus use A330 test plane to fly humanitarian aid to Haiti

The Airbus Foundation and Action Against Hunger – France (ACF) have used an Airbus A330 test aircraft to transport around 20 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Haiti.

The aircraft also carries 29 French civil security officers as well as aid workers from other NGOs – Fondation Veolia, Première Urgence, Handicap International, Humedica and Medair, as well as ACF – to Haiti.

The humanitarian aid was loaded last night on the A330 in Lyon and took off this morning with destination Port-au-Prince.

The supplies will be distributed to people in need in Haiti, struck last week by Hurricane Matthew.

The goods were collected by ACF and include water sanitation equipment, stocks of drinkable water, household kits and family kits for hygiene.

Fabrice Brégier, Airbus Chief Executive Officer, said:

“Providing help to the victims of the devastating typhoon which struck Haiti last week is one of the Airbus Foundation’s highest priorities today and it is especially important to us to help the victims regain access to clean water.”

Andrea Debbane, Executive Director of the Airbus Foundation, said:

“Working with NGOs doing such vital work is at the heart of the Airbus Foundation mission.

Through collaboration and partnerships we are putting our various products and services into the effort, including helicopter hours for transport and satellite imagery for damage assessment.”

In recent years, Airbus, through its Foundation, has built up a global network of airlines and relief organisations to support international humanitarian causes.

Delivery flights of new, to-be-delivered aircraft have been used on numerous occasions to transport goods to populations in need all over the world.

This is the 48th humanitarian flight that the Airbus Foundation has facilitated to numerous destinations all over the globe.