Another BA cargo-only flight has taken off from Asia, bound for the UK, with vital medical equipment on board for the state National Health Service.
The flight from Singapore’s Changi airport saw seats usually full of passengers instead cram-packed with millions of pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect staff working on the frontline in the COVID-19 battle.
It is part of a series of cargo-only flights operated by BA from Asia, as the airline giant works with the UK Government to support the global response to the ongoing pandemic.
Images shared by BA crew showed row after row of seats full of boxes carrying protective wear for NHS staff. The overhead lockers were also being utilized to carry equipment, with no inch of space wasted.
Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and Chief Executive, said: “We are doing all we can to support the global response to COVID-19, whether it’s flying important medical supplies into the UK or helping to bring Britons home. We will continue to use all available resources to support the Government, the NHS and communities all over the world who might be in need of our help.”
This latest flight comes after a Boeing 777 took to the skies last week, travelling from Beijing to the UK with vital supplies.
With a crew of seven pilots and six crew, the jet made a 28-hour round trip mercy mission to carry 2.5m pieces of PPE equipment to the UK from China.
BA has arranged the flights at the request of the British Government, which is facing calls from the NHS for continuous supplies of PPE equipment to protect NHS staff who are treating patients with COVID-19.
A Turkish Airlines plane also landed in the UK earlier this week with PPE equipment after a four-day delay, while Virgin Atlantic has also carried tonnes of PPE cargo from China to the UK.
