Dubai: Emirates and Dubai Humanitarian have established an airbridge to Sri Lanka, transporting urgent relief aid to support those affected by the devastating Cyclone Ditwah. For the next two weeks, Emirates will offer over 100 tonnes of cargo space free of charge across its daily passenger flights to Sri Lanka, enabling Dubai Humanitarian and its associates to transport emergency supplies across affected areas, via Colombo.
According to Emirates News Agency, H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, emphasized the strong connection and commitment of Emirates to Sri Lanka. He stated that in coordination with Dubai Humanitarian, they are mobilizing infrastructure and operations to extend essential support to communities impacted by Cyclone Ditwah. Emirates will dedicate bellyhold cargo capacity for crisis relief aid on its daily flights to Sri Lanka, ensuring a regular and reliable flow of vital commodities.
H.H. Sheikh Ahmed highlighted Dubai Humanitarian's status as the largest humanitarian hub in the world and expressed the airline's commitment to working closely with the organization to facilitate the movement of urgent supplies. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Chairman of Dubai Humanitarian, expressed gratitude to Emirates for its continued support and for activating a critical airbridge in response to the floods in Sri Lanka. He noted that the cooperation underscores their long-standing partnership and Dubai's role as a global hub for humanitarian action.
Dubai Humanitarian, as the largest humanitarian hub in the world, collaborates with over 80 humanitarian organizations and companies to streamline relief missions. Through their partnership with Emirates, they can mobilize swiftly and efficiently across the airline's network. Since the partnership began in 2020, Emirates and Dubai Humanitarian have worked together on several relief missions, delivering hundreds of tonnes of humanitarian aid to communities affected by natural disasters or other crises.
In response to the earthquakes in Trkiye and Syria in 2023, Emirates SkyCargo dedicated space for hundreds of tonnes of relief goods, transported on its daily flight operations to Istanbul. During the catastrophic flooding in Pakistan, Emirates established an airbridge and donated cargo capacity on all Emirates' passenger flights to Pakistan, transporting critical equipment and supplies, food, and other emergency relief goods directly to five airports: Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, and Sialkot.