ACS rushes emergency relief into Goma

AIR Charter Service was recently called on to help with the massive aid relief programme in Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The fastest solution to deliver 88 tons of emergency aid was to use two Il-76 freighters, taking plastic sheets, buckets, blankets and two pallets of water purification tablets in bulk to Entebbe, Uganda, from Fujairah International Airport. The supplies were then ferried on aircraft capable of landing at Goma airport.
The two largest aircraft able to land in Goma, due to its restricted runway, are the An-12 and L-100 Hercules. Using An-12s, which are usually banned from DRC, would have caused a delay due to having to wait for the exemption permits. An L-100 Hercules aircraft was sourced, which could get permits quickly, therefore no delays were encountered.
Dan Morgan-Evans, cargo sales manager ACS, said: “The number one priority was to get the relief cargo to the people that needed it most, as quickly as possible. Having a representative from our Dubai office and two flight managers, one of them a French speaker, ensured the smooth and time efficient running of this operation, with no time being wasted.”