The Airlink 2016 year-end challenge

As regular readers of this website know, Cargo Facts is a long-time supporter of Airlink, the rapid-response humanitarian relief organization that links airlines with pre-qualified nonprofits. Today, as you begin your preparation for the holiday season, we encourage you, at either the individual or corporate level, to participate in Airlink’s “Year-End Giving Challenge.”

Here’s the deal: Five aviation industry leaders have generously agreed to match, dollar for dollar, all monetary donations up to $70,000—for a total of $140,000 in giving! If you join them in doubling Airlink’s impact this holiday season, you will help increase efficiency and effectiveness of disaster response worldwide. The five leaders are:

• Steve Rimmer, CEO, Altavair

• Todd Freeman, Senior Vice President, GECAS

• John Willingham, CEO, Macquarie Finance

• Robert Korn, President, Apollo Aviation, and

• Klaus Heinemann, Chairman of the Board, Finnair

Joining them in their support of Airlink is easy: simply click here, and you’ll go straight to the Year-End Giving Challenge site.

Since its inception in 2010, Airlink has worked with its airline partners to respond to many rapid-onset disasters, including the earthquake in Haiti, the tsunami in Japan, Hurricane Sandy and numerous tornadoes in the US, Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and the Ebola crisis in West Africa, and, most recently, Hurricane Matthew in Haiti.

We sent Lewis King, a reporter with our sister publication Air Cargo World, to Haiti with Airlink to document the relief effort after the hurricane. You can read his story here, and we hope that, after reading it, you will understand both why we support Airlink, and why it is important for you to show your support as well. For more information, visit the Airlink website.

To further encourage you, we join Airlink in publishing this letter from Steve Rimmer, CEO of aircraft lessor Altavair, and one of the five who will match your gift, followed by two videos – one showing distribution of supplies in Haiti, and one in which a number of aviation industry leaders explain why they, too, support Airlink. First, the letter from Steve:

Friends,

This year, Airlink brought the aviation community together to respond. Together, we helped experienced nonprofit organizations provide relief in the wake of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Ecuador, devastating wildfires in Canada, 1000-year floods in Louisiana and West Virginia, and Hurricane Matthew in both Haiti and North Carolina.

Together with airlines and a variety of volunteers and other donors, Airlink helped nonprofit organizations quickly meet critical needs for disaster survivors. But this work is never done.

Airlink has achieved great success this year, delivering 480,000 pounds of cargo, sending 346 relief workers into the field, and bringing 5 new airlines and 9 new NGOs on board. They can only continue their success with support from friends like you.

Can you help today so aviation can be a force for good in 2017? I’m counting on your support.

Best regards,

Steve Rimmer

CEO, Altavair

Now, the videos: