LATAM carries 12.8 tonnes of aid to flood-hit Galápagos

LATAM Airlines Group activated its Avión Solidario (Solidarity Plane) programme within hours of receiving an emergency assistance request to support more than 2,000 families affected by flooding on Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos. The flooding was caused by heavy rains associated with the El Niño phenomenon.

Working with the Chamber of Industries and Production (CIP) and Grupo Entregas, LATAM Ecuador, with support from LATAM Cargo Group, transported 1,000 food and hygiene kits and 9,600 litres of water from Quito.

The operation presented a logistical challenge as Baltra Airport could not accommodate the Boeing 767 freighters typically deployed by LATAM Cargo Group for such missions. Rather than reduce the volume of aid, the cargo teams adopted an alternative loading procedure that allowed freight to be carried in both the aircraft's hold and passenger cabin of an A319.

Using this approach, the aircraft carried 6,700 kg of cargo in its hold and an additional 6,100 kg secured on cabin seats, bringing the total payload of humanitarian supplies to 12,800 kg.

This story was originally published by STAT Times. Read the full story at STAT Times →