Through the Solidarity Plane, the company took more than half (26%) of the immunizers transported free of charge to 56 states and the Federal District by air in Brazil
This Wednesday (8/9), the LATAM reached the historic mark of more than 100 million doses of vaccines against Covid-19 transported for free throughout Brazil through the program Solidarity Plane. The company has been operating in the free transport of immunizers since January of this year, when immunization began in the country.
So far, almost 1.500 LATAM flights have been loaded with immunizers to bring hope to more than 50 million Brazilians from all 26 states and the Federal District.
The volume of 100 million vaccines shipped free of charge by LATAM Cargo so far corresponds to more than half (56%) of the total vaccines transported by air within the country, with LATAM being the leading airline in this operation, which emphasizes social responsibility of the company in the global pandemic scenario.
“The milestone of 100 million vaccines transported free of charge to all regions of Brazil fills us with pride and represents much more than a number. It means that the effort of each LATAM employee to shorten distances and take hope further has been successful. The fight against this pandemic belongs to all of us in civil society and LATAM is happy to have put the best of it, the agility and range of its aircraft, in favor of people's lives”, says Jerome Cadier, CEO of LATAM Brazil.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, LATAM has been looking for ways to contribute and help Brazil and South America to overcome the Coronavirus.
In addition to all the coordination, organization and operation of flights to transport immunizers, the company, through the Solidarity Plane program, also made its entire infrastructure available to take 1,7 health professionals to work in other states throughout of the most critical months of the pandemic. It has also worked over the last few months in of social projects by partner NGOs.
One example was the company's performance in the face of greater difficulty in facing the pandemic in Manaus (AM). On the occasion, LATAM transported 187 ventilators developed by researchers from the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo (USP) to meet the hospital demand caused by the worsening of Covid-19 in the capital of Amazonas.
In April of this year, to help fight hunger and food insecurity in Brazil after the pandemic worsened, the LATAM donated 100 tons of food for families from over 10 states.
On the occasion, the company allocated to partner institutions linked to the fight against hunger the in-flight service meals that had not been consumed since the beginning of the health crisis and also transported through the Solidarity Plane over 60 tons of basic food baskets donated by institutions.
Behind the numbers, people
On the front of free transport of vaccines, it is important to go beyond the numbers to also know who is behind this operation. THE pilot Victor Cunha, for example, is the commander who transported the most vaccines against Covid-19 for free in Brazil. So far, he has already been the commander of 7 LATAM flights in Brazil that had vaccines shipped free of charge through the Avião Solidário program.
These 7 flights were responsible for carrying a total of 406 doses of vaccines – a volume equivalent to the total population of Brazilian municipalities such as Rio Branco, Campina Grande or Piracicaba. The flights commanded by Victor helped to supply the health network of states such as Amapá, Ceará, Paraíba, Maranhão and the Federal District.
On some flights, flight attendants even announced to engers that there were special loads on board. The most common and recurrent reaction from customers was applause of joy and recognition for LATAM's efforts.
Yes, José Luiz Mendes, Operations Coordinator at LATAM Cargo Brazil, which operates in the company's cargo activities at the Guarulhos airport (São Paulo), the main hub (connection center) for the entire LATAM Group, has already acted in the shipment of more than 90% of the vaccines transported by the company in Brazil.
Under his responsibility are another 230 employees of LATAM Cargo, including air cargo operators and agents. According to Mendes, without a doubt, coordinating the heart of this operation has a different value, a humanitarian aspect to make all this gear work and take vaccines against Covid-19 to every corner of the country.
Street: LATAM Airlines
