Emirates, Dubai Humanitarian launch airbridge to Sri Lanka to transport urgent relief aid

  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. 

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group, said, “Emirates is deeply connected and committed to Sri Lanka, and so, in coordination with Dubai Humanitarian, we are mobilising our infrastructure and operations to extend essential support to the communities impacted by Cyclone Ditwah." 

He added that Emirates will be dedicating bellyhold cargo capacity for crisis relief aid on its daily flights to Sri Lanka, providing a regular and reliable flow of vital commodities. 

"Dubai Humanitarian is the largest humanitarian hub in the world, and we will work closely with them to facilitate the movement of urgent supplies," Sheikh Ahmed said. 

Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Chairman of Dubai Humanitarian, thanked Emirates for its continued support and for helping activate a critical air bridge in response to the floods in Sri Lanka, saying the cooperation underscored their long-standing partnership and Dubai’s role as a global hub for humanitarian action. 

As the largest humanitarian hub in the world, bringing together over 80 humanitarian organisations and companies, Dubai Humanitarian streamlines relief missions and, through their longstanding partnership with Emirates, is able to mobilise swiftly and efficiently across the airline’s network. 

Since signing the partnership in 2020, Emirates and Dubai Humanitarian have collaborated on several relief missions, uplifting hundreds of tonnes of humanitarian aid to communities affected by natural disasters or other crises. 

In response to the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria in 2023, Emirates SkyCargo dedicated space for hundreds of tonnes of relief goods, transported on its daily flight operations to Istanbul. 

Providing critical support 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 the five airports – Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, and Sialkot. 

WAM