Right now the humanitarian sector is chronically underfunded and fragmented
How do a small ‘mighty’ team of 20 people and their partners harness the power of logistics and the air cargo industry to move emergency humanitarian aid, relief supplies, and workers for ongoing conflicts, natural and man-made disasters, and climate change and impact these communities?
Giving some answers is Steve Smith, President & CEO, Airlink Inc who sheds light on this little-known aspect of the aviation sector which is that of being the first responders in a crisis or a disaster.
Smith sat down in an interview with Lakshmi Ajay, Associate Editor of STAT Media as part of ‘Conversations’ - an exclusive interview series from the recently concluded World Cargo Symposium hosted by IATA in Istanbul in April 2023.
With such a premium on air cargo, he speaks about how Airlink negotiates and ensures airlines donate space in the aircrafts, free of charge to help ongoing disaster aid and rehabilitation efforts in different parts of the world.
Working with nonprofit and humanitarian NGO partners along with air carriers, logistics companies, and freight forwarders, Airlink Inc then galvanizes their strengths to support communities in crisis by transporting relief aid and time-critical cargo by air.
With a focus on the three areas of aiding global recovery post-Covid-19, climate changes, and ongoing conflicts guiding their work, Smith highlights the organization's current work in the interview.
