|
US firm Aventura Aviation flies aid into Aceh
thestar online - Tuesday,
January 04 2005
PETALING JAYA: An American-based company which had just started business in Indonesia has been making round-the-clock humanitarian flights into Aceh from Jakarta to help the tsunami victims since last Wednesday.
“It was spontaneous. We must help. You cannot wait or just sit there.
“The people are suffering and when such a tragedy comes, it is our policy to help. Profit is secondary,” said Aventura Aviation executive vice-president Helmut Wegner yesterday.
He was here to attend the signing of an agreement between SME Aviation Sdn Bhd and Aventura Aviation during the launch of SME Aviation as the world’s first independent budget maintenance, repair and overhaul centre.
The launching was performed by Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Douglas Unggah Embas.
The two companies also made contributions to the Tsunami Disaster Relief Fund. Advance Air Traffic Systems Sdn Bhd donated RM250,000 while SME Aerospace handed over RM150,000.
Wegner said the Miami-based company, which has 50 planes, has done six runs so far and would continue as long as their services were needed.
Two Boeing 727 planes are flying in round-the-clock shuttling food and other necessary materials from Jakarta to Aceh. The flights back ferry the injured.
He added that the Indonesian government was paying for the fuel while everything else, including flight tickets to fly the injured to Jakarta, was borne by the company.
“We have seen the disaster there. It was unbelievable. Aceh is completely wiped out. We were the first ones, even the locals could not make it. We as foreigners told the Government, take our airplane, we will not charge for it.
“I have never seen anything like it in my life. You see Aceh from the airplane cockpit and you cannot believe someone could survive,” he added.
He added it cost the company US$20,000 (RM76,000) per plane daily in carrying out the humanitarian work.
|
