Lufthansa freighter in relief-aid flight to Puerto Rico

Lufthansa Group has deployed an MD-11 freighter from Frankfurt Airport to Aguadilla, on the West Coast of Puerto Rico, to join the humanitarian efforts throughout the island after the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria.

Situated in this region is a Lufthansa Technical Site where 400 colleagues are helping local communities nearby.

The Lufthansa Cargo aircraft flew into Rafael Hernández International Airport in Puerto Rico after a refueling stopover at Atlanta Airport.

The freighter was loaded with 80 tons of drinking water, apparel, food provisions and hygienic supplies for the relief effort.

The Lufthansa Group is working closely with the local US authorities to obtain the necessary coordination and support for the comprehensive relief-aid operation. In Germany, participants of this relief effort have predominantly been Hassia, the Metro Group, as well as LSG Skychefs with donations.

Kühne & Nagel, Georgi and orgalog helped with transport services. The project was organised and implemented by HelpAlliance, the charitable aid organisation of the Lufthansa Group.

Johannes Bussmann, the president of the management board of Lufthansa Technik, said:“We are standing by our colleagues and the US population in Puerto Rico during these trying times. It is especially in moments of crisis, that we as an enterprise all pull together and lend support to our colleagues and the local surrounding communities near our Puerto Rico location and affected by this tragedy.” 

Lufthansa's technik facility in Puerto Rico (LTPR) was opened in February 2014 and has specialised in the service and maintenance of aircraft types, such as the Airbus A320 family.

Initial orders came from some of the main US carriers, and this caused the service site to develop rapidly in becoming one of the more important provider for aircraft overhaul for the US. 

“As a close partner of Puerto Rico, we are not only lending backup support for the workforce of Lufthansa Technik and their families locally, but also for the communities in the vicinity, who have been working together with us also closely and with confidence from day one,” stated Bussmann.

Since the inception of the hurricane damage, the location has received assistance from LTPR customers Spirit Airlines and jetBlue.

A freight space was made available for minimum relief requirements. “We must really thank our partners and friends of Spirit and jetBlue. It is comforting to know that one can depend on friends during difficult occasions,” said Bussmann.