AER LINGUS has joined the airlift of relief aid to Haiti by agreeing to fly an A330 aircraft directly from Dublin to La Romana airport in the neighbouring Dominican Republic on Friday afternoon with much needed aid supplies.
The aircraft will deliver more than 25 tonnes of emergency medical equipment and food to earthquake survivors on the island in conjunction with Irish aid agency Goal, which will then transport the relief into Haiti from the Dominican Republic.
The flight will also carry 15 doctors and volunteers, who will travel to Haiti to assist relief efforts following the recent devastating earthquake.
The aircraft will leave Dublin airport at 1pm on Friday, arriving in the Dominican Republic at 7pm local time on the same day.
It will be on the ground for two hours to unload before returning to Dublin via Orlando.
The decision to fly into La Romana airport instead of Port-au-Prince in Haiti was taken because of safety concerns, following severe aftershocks yesterday.
Aer Lingus has agreed to cover the cost of fuel for the flight with its crew offering their services voluntarily.
All aviation, take-off, navigational and associated charges have been waived by both the Dublin Airport Authority and the Irish Aviation Authority respectively to facilitate the flight.
“Aer Lingus sincerely thanks these organisations for their co-operation,” the airline said in a statement last night.
