Flying in urgent help

Air services can deliver humanitarian aid quickly and safely in times of crisis – especially to remote areas. In fact, air support is often the only way to get help to people if road, rail and water transport infrastructure is damaged or of poor quality. The EU operates its own air service – known as ECHO Flight – through which it delivers humanitarian support. ECHO Flight runs a fleet of six aircraft which are based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya and Mali.

The EU also funds similar air transport services – including the UN’s Humanitarian Aid Service (UNHAS). When required by the situation, the EU also charters cargo aircraft to deliver support, as in the case of the Central African Republic in 2013 when the EU ferried in some 450 tonnes of urgent relief goods, or in 2015 when relief material was shipped to people affected by the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.

EU funding for ECHO Flight and other humanitarian air services amounted to more than EUR 34 million in 2015.