The air cargo industry has stepped up to transport humanitarian aid and supplies to victims of the devastating Turkey-Syria earthquake that hit on February 6.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck close to the Turkish city of Gaziantep near the Syrian border, causing extensive casualties and deaths as well as damage to buildings and infrastructure.

Lufthansa and Emirates have joined the ranks of airlines flying relief aid to Turkey. The relief comes following a disastrous 7.8 magnitude earthquake that devastated Southern Turkey and Northern Syria. The region's infrastructure has been crippled as thousands of buildings and roads were demolished by the quake. Luckily, most airports suffered minimal damage, making it possible for Emirates and Lufthansa, along with many other airlines, to fly in necessary aid.

While the earthquake and its aftershocks ended several days ago, many people remain trapped. The aid being sent by the airlines is still in urgent demand as rescuers continue to search day and night for survivors. In addition to rescue efforts, millions have been affected by the disaster, with residents being left homeless, displaced, or without necessary resources such as food, water, shelter, blankets, and medical supplies.

For these reasons, the airlines have chosen to step up and lend a helping hand to those in need. Both airlines have sent aid to airports in Southern Turkey this morning and plan to continue sending as much assistance as possible to the region.

Emirates sends support

Emirates has sent its first shipments of relief supplies to the region today. In coordination with the International Humanitarian City (IHC), Emirates plans to send 100 tons of humanitarian aid over the next two weeks. The airline's first shipments include family-size tents and thermal blankets to help the homeless during the harsh winter months.

The freight will also include medical supplies and other shelter items selected by the World Health Organization (WHO). Over the next few days, it will begin adding water distribution ramps, flashlights, and emergency and trauma medical kits.

The Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, shared the airline's commitment to helping those affected by the disaster, stating,

"We stand with the Turkish and Syrian people and are working with experts like the International Humanitarian City to help provide urgent relief to those affected and displaced by the earthquakes, as well as support the complex recovery efforts on the ground. Emirates has extensive experience in supporting humanitarian relief efforts, and through its three daily flights to Istanbul will offer regular and consistent widebody capacity for relief items and medical supplies. Emirates also supports the UAE's ongoing humanitarian efforts to support Turkey and Syria, and Dubai's unique position as the world's largest international aid logistics hub means that we can efficiently reach disaster stricken areas and the most vulnerable people as quickly as possible."

Lufthansa lends a helping hand

Lufthansa launched its first relief flight to Turkey this morning. The service is being flown on a Lufthansa Cargo Boeing 777F filled to the brim with relief supplies. The flight left Frankfurt Airport (FRA) this morning and is expected to arrive at Fraport TAV Airport Antalya (AYT) this afternoon.

The freighter is carrying winter supplies such as warm blankets and clothing along with food and hygiene items. This first flight and subsequent relief missions still to come are the result of a joint effort with a volunteer organization owned by the airline known as HelpAlliance. Also involved are the airline's subsidiary companies time:matters and CB customs.

The Chairwoman of the Executive Board and CEO of Lufthansa Cargo, Dorothea von Boxberg, stated the following concerning the disaster relief efforts,

"We are deeply affected by the extent of the destruction in the Turkish-Syrian border region and want to help. The willingness of our employees from the Lufthansa Cargo environment and the Help Alliance to help is enormous, and plans were made immediately to organize a relief flight as quickly as possible,"

The Managing Director of time:matters, which handles emergency response efforts, Alexander Kohnen, shared the company's pride in its workers and affiliates for their willingness to serve others. Kohnen also shared how the group's experience has enabled it to help Lufthansa Cargo respond quickly to the demand for relief support by stating,

"The terrible earthquake and the immeasurable suffering of the people in Turkey and Syria make us all very concerned. As an emergency logistics provider, we have already gained a lot of experience in dealing with such events during past crises and disasters. Thus, we were able to operationally prepare this cargo flight with urgently needed relief goods within 72 hours with our professional teams. We were all overwhelmed by the commitment and willingness to help shown by our colleagues and the Turkish communities,"

The first airline on the scene

While Emirates and Lufthansa's efforts are appreciated and prompt, the first airline to send aid was Turkey's national air carrier Turkish Airlines. As soon as disaster struck, the airline halted many of its standard operations to divert 80 planes to support relief efforts in the region. With these 80 planes, the airline brought over 15,000 volunteers into the area to help with rescue and support efforts while carrying out over 18,000 people within the first two days following the disaster. The airline has chosen to offer tickets at a low rate of $5.30 to help those coming to assist and those leaving. This low rate is expected to last until at least February 13th.

The airline continues to bring as many relief supplies as possible into the region. A spokesperson told Simple Flying the following concerning the first few days of relief support operations,

"With 228 flights on 6-7 February 2023, we brought a search and rescue team of 14,340 people from our country and 778 people from 20 countries to the region. We also evacuated 18,460 citizens from the earthquake area. We delivered a total of 1,350 tons of relief materials to the region in our 22 flights so far. In this context, we offer return flights from Adana, Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Elazığ, Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş and Gaziantep destinations of our passenger planes, which carry the teams to the region, for the use of our citizens. We request them that reservations be made before the flight so that we can provide the proper passenger order on these one-way flights, which we have fixed as free of charge until 13 February 2023."