Amsterdam, 05
January
2005
EADS (stock exchange symbol: EAD) supports the global emergency relief effort in South Asia following the Tsunami on December 26, 2004.
Immediately after the disaster, EADS and its Business Units decided to support the global emergency relief effort and have launched actions at three levels –corporate, material and individual- corresponding to a global contribution of more than € 2 million.
All together EADS and its Business Units offered € 1 million cash donation including € 500,000 of Airbus to Red Cross, and other contributions to Aviation sans Frontières/Luftfahrt Ohne Grenzen, as well as to other relief organizations.
The Group also deployed its air transportation capacities in and to the region to meet logistical requirements: a fleet of Eurocopter helicopters was provided to support relief operation in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Other similar operations are already being prepared. Airbus also proposed the services of the Beluga large cargo capacities to help in transporting aids to the affected countries. In addition, EADS and its Business Units invite all employees to a personal contribution on a special account of the Red Cross and commit to match the global amount of these contributions by a company equivalent donation.
The EADS CEOs Philippe Camus and Rainer Hertrich said : “Around the world people have been stunned by the scale of devastation inflicted by this natural disaster and have wanted to help. As a global aerospace company deeply involved in this region, we deem our responsibility to do everything we can to assist affected Asian communities with all our means, financial support as well as logistical capabilities”.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and releated services. In 2003, EADS generated revenues of € 30.1 billion. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the second largest missile producer in the global market. EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the largest industrial partner for the European satellite navigation system Galileo.
