Mr. Brad,” said Raven, a young girl from the Bahamas who was with her family when their roof collapsed during Hurricane Dorian. They were evacuated on a Citation Jet bound for West Palm Beach with Restaurant Equipment World CEO Brad Pierce. “I’ll never forget you for the rest of my life.”

For Sandra Walter, Airlink’s strategic engagement and major gifts officer, it’s about being able to send a repair team of six to help people like Olga and her three-generation family fix their concrete roof to make a house safe again.
“There are millions of people like Olga around the world who rely on the goodness of non-governmental organizations to help them restore their lives after devastation most of us cannot imagine,” says Walter. “It is their perseverance inspiring me.”

That’s an apt explanation why airlines and private aviation volunteer both aircraft and pilots, often becoming the first to bring in medical and relief supplies after a disaster. These missions are little known outside of aviation circles and belie the public’s attitudes about the industry as being selfish fat cats.

“It is about really helping those in need and highlighting the benefits of general aviation,” says Carolina Aviation Network communications director Stephen Linson. “Most people see aviation just from the perspective of commercial air travel, but don’t see the humanitarian aspect which is crucial for the relief efforts.”

Such transportation is a critical part of the corporate travel manager’s emergency tool kit. But during humanitarian crises, there is more they can do by donating aircraft, miles and ticket credits.

Reaching Out to the World
Private aviation, too, is aware of its responsibilities for early disaster response. The companies and aviators receive no recognition, medals or trophies for their work or the hundreds of millions of dollars of humanitarian and operational aid brought to disaster sites worldwide. Their laurels rest on their own acknowledgement of a job well done.

“Our industry plays a critical role in responding to natural disasters, providing flexible and timely solutions that are often unavailable through other aviation channels,” explains David McCown, president of the Americas for Chapman Freeborn. “In the wake of hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes or civil unrest, private aviation is uniquely equipped to mobilize quickly, offering evacuation services, transporting emergency supplies, and facilitating access to remote or damaged areas where commercial flights are unavailable. We also have strong relationships with global emergency organizations, charities and NGOs and we work together to identify specific needs and prioritize our resources.”

Jon Corbi, Air Partner EVP group charter and cargo US, stresses the importance of being a global operator. “Having global aviation partners is essential to providing relief,” he says. “One of our major services is the mobilization of aircraft for evacuations of people and pets, the transportation of supplies, and other critical needs following any disaster. We constantly monitor global events and are in regular communication with clients. We can leverage partnerships and relationships with our customers, operators and FBOs globally. With our 24/7 service, we can take quick action in any situation and have capabilities for any scenario including access more remote airports.”

Similarly, Chapman Freeborn continuously monitors weather patterns and global events to anticipate needs before they arise. “We are poised to act as soon as an event occurs, and we can mobilize quickly and seamlessly,” says Cam Bolton-Wilson, VP of government and humanitarian – Americas. “We can also act independently to marshal resources before a disaster strikes. For predictable events like hurricanes or severe weather, we coordinate with our network of operators, FBOs and airports to have aircraft, crews and supplies ready for deployment. In the case of more unpredictable events, we act immediately after the disaster, coordinating with local emergency response authorities to provide relief flights, transport medical teams and deliver essential supplies.”

There are also global nonprofit aviation humanitarian and disaster response companies, such as Airlink, marshalling the resources not just of private aviation but of airlines and other aviation partners.

“The key to Airlink’s successful strategy is using available capacity donated by commercial and cargo airline partners,” says Walter, noting costs and logistics quickly overwhelm NGOs. “It’s not aid if you can’t get it there, and lack of funding for transportation and logistics is the biggest factor. We secure philanthropic support and leverage private-sector partnerships with airlines and freight forwarders to get help to the affected area and people faster. We vet NGO’s ensuring we are only delivering necessary aid that will meet the needs of the recipients and make it possible for NGOs to respond quickly. We focus on putting skilled field teams in from our NGO partners.”

Airlink’s small team has a big footprint, responding to simultaneous crises worldwide. Annually, it manages flights for over 1,000 emergency responders across dozens of responses including 41 in 2024 alone. It delivered lifesaving and life-sustaining aid for emergencies and protracted crises and reached 60 million people through partnerships with 200 relief organizations.

“These volunteers and professionals often have complex travel requirements and need to have tickets booked quickly at no cost in order to deploy their search and rescue, medical, shelter, clean water, communications, and expertise within the first hours of an incident,” Walter says. “Our strategic partnership with American Express Global Business Travel helps Airlink manage the vast array of generous resources including certificates, miles and vouchers received from our airline partners to book flexible tickets at no or low cost.”

With over 50 airline partners worldwide, existing passenger and cargo routes are stitched together to deliver from first to last mile. Airlink launched its first humanitarian response in 2010 when a catastrophic 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the island nation of Haiti, partnering with airlines and NGOs to coordinate more than 2,000 doctors and support staff and 40 shipments totaling more than 500,000 pounds for both immediate and long-term needs.

“In order to take to the skies and deliver humanitarian aid needed in disaster zones,” Walter explains, “Airlink depends on the donation of both cash contributions and frequent flyer miles from business travelers. We’ve also had several corporate travel programs donate expiring travel credits.”

It is not just aircraft owners and operators. Private aviation terminals are essential to emergency response brought in and evacuations going out. FBOs quickly become critical operational bases. This is what happened at Jet Aviation San Juan when the main terminal at the San Juan airport was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017. It coordinated with local emergency authorities and the military, becoming the staging area for emergency responders, aviation authorities, customs and immigration, security, and was the main transit point for evacuations.

Similarly, Bohlke International Airways, based in St. Croix, ordered in supplies, generators and communications equipment ahead of Hurricane Irma, setting up a command post to maintain communications for emergency assets on the island. When it was wiped out by Irma, it immediately rebuilt, ordering more supplies, generators and communications equipment to ensure they were operational when Maria hit two weeks later.

Sophisticated Operational Support
The National Business Aviation Association has a special website for corporations and aviation personnel, including pilots, flight attendants, technicians and ground support personnel to volunteer. It also runs the NBAA Humanitarian Emergency Response Operator (HERO) Database, listing members of the business aviation community’s disaster-response mobilization efforts and registering aircraft and personnel as volunteers. In the aftermath of major crises – as was the case most recently during Hurricane Helene – information from the database is shared with organizations coordinating relief efforts who can access private aviation humanitarian groups.

Since 1981, the Corporate Angels Network, made up of 500 corporations, many in the Fortune 100, provide flights so patients can avoid the grueling commercial airplane journey, arranging free travel for cancer patients, bone marrow and stem cell donors and recipients. The entire cost of the flight is paid by the volunteer pilot who receives no reimbursement other than knowing their aviation skills and talents are making a difference. Administrative costs are funded by donations.

“Private aviation has the time, talent and treasure to make a difference in the world,” notes Restaurant Equipment World CEO Brad Pierce. “Helping is the right thing to do. The reality is there’s a specific need that simply cannot be met with any other form of transportation. With Hurricane Helene, roads were missing. There were no routes for trucks. Many of these folks were completely cut off when we began launching planes within a few short hours.

Suddenly these communities had a vital lifeline for recovery. This is a prime example of the true power of private aviation with countless aviators dedicating their time and resources to assist and make a positive difference in the world.”

CAN communications director Linson agrees. “We are committed to making a difference with aviation,” Linson tells Business Travel Executive. “We helped organize the Statesville, NC, airport, getting supplies in an assembly line fashion to load airplanes and trucks. We were also on the forefront of communications and organizing aviation across the state. Our volunteers flew in supplies in the early stages and later on helped sort and load airplanes or trailers. In addition to general survival supplies, we provided early relief including nonperishable food, water, medicine, bathroom needs, camping and outdoor living, and requisite tools.”

Duty of Care
Corporate travel managers are familiar with private aviation in emergency response because their travelers can be subject to natural disasters, civil unrest and medical emergencies. Consumers who buy travel insurance have quick evacuation for the same kinds of crises. Many aviation companies have aviation emergency services included in their contracts with clients enabling them to be proactive.

“We have worked closely with the United Nations for many years,” McCown says, “and are proud to have played a role in the relief efforts for almost every global disaster in the past 51 years, including the 2004 Asian tsunami, earthquakes in Pakistan and Haiti, floods in Burma and humanitarian crises in Darfur and East Africa.”

For charter companies like Air Partner and Chapman Freeborn, success is all in the preparation, but others stress something different. While pre-planning was key to successful post-disaster operations, both Bohlke and Jet Aviation said the right mindset and a dedicated staff were their most important assets.

“Planning is key to ensuring a smooth response to emergencies,” says Bolton-Wilson. “We recommend establishing contingency plans with private aviation providers, including pre-arranged evacuation agreements and logistical planning for emergency scenarios to reduce response times and avoiding bottlenecks.”

Air Partner’s contingency planning is essential, Corbi explains. “We understand that quick action is vital to save lives. As soon as we are aware of an emergency our resources are ready and standing by for the call to action. We secure agreements with our clients to provide guaranteed lift should an emergency occur to become a trusted source for disaster aid and evacuation services. We have agreements with companies in the Caribbean to evacuate staff and families in the event of a hurricane, as well as providing evacuation aid to corporate clients in the event of civil unrest or war across the globe.”

Private aviation aircraft, small turboprops, helicopters and giant private jets, staffed by volunteer pilots, are early responders thanks to networks of altruistic operators and pilots who disappear from their normal lives to provide aid and, later, after official government help arrives and is organized, quietly fade into the shadows.

It doesn’t take much for aviators to find a reason to fly, but throw in an emergency and they stand ready to take to the air to deliver much-needed emergency supplies and provide critical airlift in times of crisis.
Image: Shutterstock