Amsterdam, 12
September
2005
Over the past two weeks, EADS has supplied relief aid for victims of hurricane Katrina in the United States. Operating independently and in cooperation with European governments and private agencies, EADS has provided cash donations, operated helicopter rescue missions, flown international and domestic airlift flights with its Airbus mega-freighter Beluga and delivered a self-contained mobile hospital unit to the region. Total EADS and related relief support has exceeded € 1.8 million.
EADS deployed its Airbus mega-freighter Beluga to ship approximately 23 tons of relief supplies into the affected region. After unloading the humanitarian supplies which were donated by the UK and France in Mobile, Alabama, the Beluga aircraft has remained in the region to support future relief operations, including the final shipment of the EADS mobile rescue station from Atlanta to its destination in Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday.
A few hours before, the station has arrived in the United States on-board of a Lufthansa cargo aircraft. The relief operation is an initiative of EADS together with the German non-profit organisation "Luftfahrt ohne Grenzen" (Aviation without Borders), supported by the German government.
The CEOs of EADS, Tom Enders and Noël Forgeard, said: "Stunned by the indescribable extend of destruction caused by hurricane Katrina we just had to help. EADS is linked in many ways to the US and especially to the affected region. We are very much aware of our responsibility to do everything we can to support the massive relief effort. This gives true meaning to the often praised transatlantic partnership which proves so strong during times of need."
The mobile rescue station is scheduled to be set up in Jackson, Mississippi and will provide ongoing medical treatment to displaced victims. It consists of an air-conditioned medical container for basic medical treatment, vaccinations and emergency operations and a self-sufficient support unit. The advanced mobile hospital was developed and built by EADS Defence Electronics in Friedrichshafen (Germany) and already had been delivered to the German Armed Forces. With their permission and in order to guarantee the mission's efficiency, the station will be operational on site in the US supporting relief efforts for six months. At the conclusion of its deployment, the rescue station will be refurbished at EADS expense and returned to the German Armed Forces. An EADS support team will accompany the installation and train local medical personnel. Earlier this year, EADS donated a similar mobile hospital to Indonesia following the Tsunami disaster in South Asia.
In the immediate aftermath of hurricane Katrina's passage, EADS' subsidiary American Eurocopter dedicated two helicopters to rescue and relief missions. Beginning flight operations within hours of the disaster, American Eurocopter helicopters carried medical supplies and emergency medical technicians into the ravaged region and provided airlifts to patients. Under deteriorating weather conditions, one of the helicopters rescued 66 people from the roof of Tulane University in New Orleans.
In cooperation with the Spanish government, an EADS CN-235 transport aircraft has been made available to relief organisations throughout the affected area. Flown by Spanish Air Force and EADS flight crews, the aircraft will provide much needed airlift for disaster recovery and rebuilding efforts. The CN-235 was originally intended to support company marketing efforts in the US. An EADS Socata TBM-700 turboprop aircraft also has been used for relief coordination in Mississippi and Alabama.
In addition to its in-kind and employee support, EADS donated more than € 100,000 into several relief projects, among them "Bridge of Hope", an initiative of the German-American association "Atlantik-Brücke".
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2004, EADS generated revenues of € 31.8 billion and employed a workforce of about 110,000. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the international leader in missile systems. 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.
