November 1 - The freight industry has worn its heart on its sleeve in its response to the humanitarian tragedy created by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the Van province in eastern Turkey and killed around 500 people.
Chapman Freeborn Airchartering's international offices worked to oversee the delivery of humanitarian cargo from Europe on behalf of major aid agency clients. The company's Istanbul team assisted in coordinating the flights which were operated on freighter aircraft including AN-12s (pictured below) and IL-76s and were among the first to reachErzurum (ERZ) with urgent supplies.
Nearly every major humanitarian airlift mission in the last 35 plus years has involved Chapman Freeborn chartered aircraft. Major flight operations have included supporting the response to the Asian Tsunami, earthquakes in Pakistan and Haiti, floods in Burma, and famines in East Africa.
Meanwhile, Air Partner helped the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) to fly over 1,000 tents for the Turkish quake victims
Following approval from Turkish officials, the freight team at Air Partner worked around the clock to secure the necessary overflight and landing permits, and ensure that aid was dispatched as quickly as possible.
Clive Chalmers, UK freight manager at Air Partner, said: "A giant Antonov AN124 has been chartered and filled with 1,144 tents, weighing a total of 95 tonnes. The dedication and specialist knowledge of our freight team, combined with extensive broking experience, ensured quick andefficient delivery to those who need it most."
