American Airlines Cargo teamed up with Canadian disaster-response organization, GlobalMedic, to deliver more than 20 pallets of water purification kits to families in areas affected by last month’s magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Ecuador.
Following the earthquake, vital infrastructure, including roads, power lines and water treatment plants, were damaged along Ecuador’s Pacific coast. The cities of Manta and Portoviejo were two severely affected towns desperately in need of clean water. GlobalMedic was able to provide the region with much-needed purification kits, which could help ensure a steady flow of clean water while facilities were in repair, but faced the challenge of trying to move the kits from Toronto to Quito.
Multi modal logistics partners stepped in with the offer of cargo space to make the journey possible. The 560 Family Emergency Kits (FEK) first made their way by truck from Toronto to New York, where they were then loaded into the cargo hold of an American Airlines 777. From New York, the jet traveled to Quito, via a quick stop in Miami. Upon arrival in the Ecuadoran capital, the kits made the last leg of their journey to Manta and Portoviejo overland.
Linda Dreffein, managing director of cargo sales for American Airlines’ eastern region, said, “These kits will protect almost 3,000 individuals’ health, prevent the spread of illness and disease and provide a sense of normality as these families attempt to rebuild their lives. We are proud to have played a part in the safe and speedy arrival of these kits to the heart of the quake zone.”