As part of LATAM group’s Solidarity Plane program, a special charter flight landed in Kingston, Jamaica, from Panama City on Saturday, November 1, carrying approximately 34 tons of Red Cross humanitarian aid to support up to 1500 families affected by the hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean nation.
The shipment—organized in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and logistics company Kuehne+Nagel—included solar lamps, emergency response items, plastic tarpaulins, and toolkits, all critical for ongoing relief and reconstruction operations.
For over 13 years, through partnerships with various foundations and institutions, the LATAM group’s Solidarity Plane program has aimed to support the communities in the countries where it operates.
It provides its expertise, connectivity, and passenger and cargo transport capacity free of charge throughout South America to support causes related to health, the environment, and catastrophes.
Currently, the program maintains close to 50 partnerships in Chile, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil.
The cargo is part of the humanitarian stock prepositioned by the IFRC at its Humanitarian Logistic Hub located in Panama.
These IFRC’s specialized warehouses store enough relief items to support up to 60,000 people affected by disasters and crises in the Americas.
Cristina Oñate, VP of Sustainability and Product at LATAM Cargo Group said: “Supporting communities in critical moments is embedded in our sustainability commitment. Through our Solidarity Plane, we prioritize capacity with unmatched agility to deliver humanitarian aid efficiently.
“By acting swiftly and working together with our partners, we ensure that our operations deliver real, immediate impact where it’s needed most”.
Stephany Murillo, Regional Logistics Manager for the IFRC said: “Thanks to our pre-positioned stock at the Humanitarian Hub in Panama, our knowledge of the terrain, and decades of experience understanding what people need most after a disaster, the IFRC was ready to act as soon as Hurricane Melissa struck.
“Partnerships like this one allow us to fulfill our humanitarian mandate — to deliver aid quickly, efficiently, and with dignity, always with the goal of alleviating people’s suffering.”
Kuehne+Nagel participated in the operation by donating its freight forwarding services and expertise, including advising on air documentation and necessary international procedures for the shipment.
Ana San Carlos, Sustainability Director for Latin America at Kuehne+Nagel added: “Kuehne+Nagel is proud to be part of such an important mission. Through our solid partnerships, strong network and emergency and relief expertise, we are honoured to serve those in need in such critical time.
“This shows us once again that collaboration is fundamental to achieving great results.
“We thank all the colleagues involved, demonstrating their agility, professionalism and commitment to the affected communities”.
