Airport International Group joins 'Care by Air'

AIG is the latest high profile name to put its full support behind Care by Air, which was founded by Maximus Air, Etihad ,Abu Dhabi Airports Company and Aramex in 2009, and it will utilize its resources and extensive expertise to support the organization.

"We are delighted to welcome AIG into the Care by Air family," said Fathi Hilal Buhazza, CEO of Maximus Air, who conceptualized, initiated and co-founded the ground-breaking initiative. "Care by Air will benefit considerably from AIG's support in waiving its aeronautical fees, which greatly contributes to our humanitarian efforts."

"AIG shares Care by Air's vision of providing a long-term formula in delivering relief and humanitarian goods and efforts to those who need it most," he added, "Our collaboration with our partners in the Care by Air initiative is in recognition of our shared common goals, and is driven by our belief that we can accomplish a lot more through sustained engagement that brings public and private partners together to support a noble cause."

Emphasizing the importance of this partnership, CEO of AIG Kjeld Binger stated: "We are extremely pleased to be collaborating with Care by Air and supporting its worldwide operations. Being able to provide assistance to such a noble initiative underscores our belief at AIG that we must do our part to support humanitarian causes and organizations, particularly through programs which utilize our resources in a way that can efficiently and directly impact millions of lives."

Binger added: "As AIG completes its construction of the new QAIA passenger terminal, it's important to recognize the role the airport can play in facilitating humanitarian aid, particularly considering Jordan's critical location relative to many of the world's most pressing humanitarian crises."

Care by Air's aim is to address the costs and effectiveness of transportation and logistics requirements of relief organizations. Through the scheme, leading air cargo airlines, logistics companies and aviation suppliers companies help improve lives of millions by either donating empty space on flights at cost, waiving handling, landing or parking fees or discounting fuel prices.

Fully supported by The UAE's Red Crescent and the United, Care by Air has already made a huge difference to the work of relief organisations as they can now rely on private business partnerships to help them deliver aid where it is needed throughout the world.

"Humanitarian-related logistics - specifically the cost, equipment and expertise involved in the handling and urgent transportation of relief efforts - is among the biggest challenge faced by global relief organizations," Buhazza explained. "As these organizations struggle for such resources, the private sector presents a distinct capability and capacity to be of assistance to such efforts by reducing or donating humanitarian aid logistics, which in turn allows for more valuable resources to be concentrated on actual aid for those that need it most."

"As such, AIG' decision to join the Care by Air , is truly inspiring and I am hoping that more and more companies would make a similar decision of involving themselves in helping others," Buhazza added.