Finnair Plc Press release Finnair lends a hand to Haiti
Finnair has been playing a role in contributing humanitarian assistance to
victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti by offering cargo space on its
Leisure flight traffic to the Dominican Republic. In addition, a special
Finnair flight organized with the Finnish Red Cross flew to Port au Prince last
week, transporting doctors and medical personnel.
Finnair flies to Puerto Plata twice a week and has offered to transport and
handle cargo for the aid agencies free of charge. Finnair is liaising with aid
agencies to ensure the best ways of carrying out this cargo transport.
Last week a special flight departed from Helsinki-Vantaa with Finnish and
German Red Cross medical staff and cargo on board, via Berlin to Haiti's main
airport at Port au Prince. The cargo included hospital furniture and equipment
for a field hospital and two operating units.
"It's natural for an airline to participate in assistance when catastrophes
happen in the world," says Antero Lahtinen, who heads Finnair's Cargo
operations.
After the earthquake in the Sichuan region of China, for example, Finnair
participated in aid and reconstruction, while also lending a hand in Thailand
after the tsunami in 2004.
Finnair Plc
Communications
29.1.2010
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