Etihad Crystal Cargo will operate a special Red Crescent and Khalifa Welfare Foundation charter flight to Haiti on January 20, carrying medical and humanitarian supplies to the earthquake-hit country.

The MD11 aircraft, which will use its full capacity of 88 tonnes, will fly first to Casablanca and then onto Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. The cargo will be unloaded there and taken to neighbouring Haiti.

The charter flight is part of the 'Care By Air' initiative, founded by Maximus Air Cargo, Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi Airport Services, which provides cargo space ‘at cost’ to deliver relief aid to disaster-stricken areas around the world.

“Despite the distance between Abu Dhabi and Haiti, everyone at Etihad Crystal Cargo is committed to ensuring this relief flight carrying vital medicines and food takes place as quickly as possible,” stated James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive.

Ahmed Humaid Al Mazrouei, chairman of the UAE Red Crescent, said: “Our mission is to mobilise humanitarian forces to aid those in need and the situation in Haiti is probably the worst in the world right now and we need to get help there urgently.”

Fathi Hilal Buhazza, Maximus Air Cargo’s president and CEO, said: “Maximus Air Cargo is fully committed to 'Care by Air' and in helping humanitarian and relief operations across the world.”-TradeArabia News Service