Emirates airline will fly COVID-19 medical aid to India for free

This comes after India has faced a huge increase in coronavirus infections

Emirates airline has today announced that it plans to fly medical supplies from Dubai to nine cities in India, entirely free of charge. The airline company has set up a humanitarian airbridge between Dubai and India in order to transport urgent medical products and relief items. This comes after Emirates SkyCargo previously delivered medicines and medical equipment to India on scheduled and charter cargo flights. India has recorded a total of 22,430,291 cases of coronavirus to date, which has tragically resulted in 243,574 Covid-19 related deaths. India has been hit particularly badly by a second wave of coronavirus infections. Countries from across the globe, including the UK and the US, have sent life-saving medical equipment, such as ventilators and oxygen equipment to India. Emirates airline said in a statement that the first shipment being sent to Delhi as part of the Emirates India humanitarian airbridge is a consignment of more than 12 tonnes of multi-purpose tents from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The flight is scheduled to depart from Dubai to Delhi on 13 May, Reuters reported. Emirates’ Chairman and Chief Executive, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said: "India and Emirates are deeply connected, since our first flights to India in 1985. "We stand with the Indian people and will do all we can to help India get back on its feet." https://twitter.com/emirates/status/1391330049295589379 Earlier this week, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the UK sent much-needed Oxygen cylinders to India to help them in the fight against Covid-19. On Twitter, Johnson said: "Thanks to the help and generosity of @boconline, last night a delivery of much-needed oxygen cylinders was sent from the UK to India. "We stand by our friends in India during these difficult times." https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1389171390067052550