Aircraft brokers Par Avion President Janine Iannarelli and jetAVIVA COO Robin Eissler have partnered to coordinate relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey victims.
Patient Airlift Service and Sky Hope have been recruited to bring resources and relief workers to Texas. The operators will support smaller agencies and nonprofit organizations, bridging the gap between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Red Cross.
Business aircraft often are used during natural disasters because they can reach areas vehicles and commercial aircraft cannot.
“The need for relief is going to be unprecedented,” Eissler said. “At this time, we are ready to run immediate flights to the Corpus Christie area, and we expect that we will be ready to run flights to Houston as soon as the rain stops.”
Iannarelli and Eissler will work to recruit other aircraft operators for the effort. They will use their personal business networks as well as the National Business Aviation Association’s Humanitarian Emergency Response Operator Database. The database stores aviation members who part of disaster response mobilization efforts.
Eissler is responsible for airlift operations. Iannarelli will reach out to her own aviation contacts as well as trucking networks as she coordinates ground efforts.
National Business Aviation Association President and CEO Ed Bolen said it was heartwarming to see people helping others in need.
https://transportationtodaynews.com/news/5265-aircraft-brokers-team-hurricane-harvey-relief-effort/