Thousands of oxygen concentrators and converters, over two million masks among medical supplies airlifted to India through charitable shipping
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| Oxygen concentrators, masks, and critical medical supplies are loaded onto a FedEx charter flight for delivery to New Delhi, India on May 15, 2021 |
FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, earlier last week announced the arrival of a second dedicated charter flight carrying critical medical aid to India. This is part of the company’s continuous relief efforts to support India’s fight against the recent COVID-19 surge.
On May 16, more than 780 oxygen concentrators, over 1.8 million KN95 masks, and medicines and pharmaceutical supplies were unloaded from a FedEx Boeing 777F charter flight in New Delhi, India. These supplies were provided by Direct Relief and will ultimately be delivered to healthcare facilities across India. This is in addition to the first FedEx donated charter flight that arrived on May 9, which transported more than 3,400 oxygen concentrators, converters, and nearly 265,000 KN95 masks for Direct Relief to Mumbai, India. Both charters originated in Newark, New Jersey.
“Never before has our industry been so essential. In the face of the devastating crisis in India, we have an important purpose of helping to ensure our team members and their communities receive as much support as possible,” said Kawal Preet, President, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa Region, FedEx Express. “We are deeply committed to moving the world forward in times like this, and we are extremely grateful to be able to maximize our resources and extensive network to assist in the shipment of critical relief supplies to help communities fight against the virus.”
FedEx is also supporting the transportation of over 25,000 oxygen concentrators and converters through an initiative with the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum and other multinational companies. FedEx will continue to work with customers and non-profit organizations including Direct Relief, to deliver life-saving medical supplies to the vulnerable people and communities in India in the days and weeks ahead.
FedEx is a member of the Global Task Force on Pandemic Response, a public-private partnership organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and supported by the Business Roundtable. The task force provides a unified platform for businesses to mobilize and deliver resources to assist COVID-19 efforts in areas of need around the world. FedEx president and COO Raj Subramaniam is one of 17 business leaders serving on the steering committee for the task force. FedEx has a long history of moving critical items across the globe. Since the start of the pandemic, FedEx Express has transported nearly 90 kilotons of personal protective equipment, including more than 2.2 billion masks worldwide. An integral part of the global vaccine supply chain, FedEx is currently delivering COVID-19 vaccines, related ingredients, and supplies to more than 25 countries around the world. The company has moved more than 12,000 COVID-19 humanitarian aid shipments since January 2020, and committed $4 million in cash and in-kind transportation support to help non-profits, including Direct Relief and International Medical Corps, distribute COVID-19 vaccines to under-resourced communities around the world.
The delivery of the lifesaving supplies is consistent with the company’s FedEx Cares 50 by 50 goal to positively impact 50 million people around the world by the company’s 50th anniversary in 2023.
