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AIA Members Support Haiti Relief Efforts

Natural disasters are the measure of mankind’s willingness and ability to assist their fellow man. Often such events bring out the best in individuals, governments and businesses.

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck the island nation of Haiti on Jan. 12 leveled much of the capital of Port-au-Prince and its surroundings, and destroyed critical parts of the country’s infrastructure. An already poor country was presented with daunting challenges of finding survivors and treating them, providing shelter and food and attempting to restore viable avenues of communication and transportation to facilitate relief efforts.

General aviation aircraft played a large humanitarian role during the first days after the earthquake. Hundreds of civilian aircraft flew to the island, most ferrying equipment, medical personnel or Haitian expatriates responding to the disaster. One account of such a flight was provided by a reporter for Aviation International News aboard a Honeywell Gulfstream G450, which was loaded with medical supplies and aid workers. Larger transport planes began arriving after the FAA was able to route more flights into Toussaint L’Ouverture International Airport.

AIA’s members were in the forefront of efforts to help Haiti recover. Here’s a snapshot of their contributions:

BAE Systems, Inc.: The company is matching all contributions by U.S. employees to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund. As of early February, employees have contributed $350,000.
Boeing: More than $2 million has been committed to relief and rebuilding in Haiti, which includes up to $1 million in company matching funds. The U.S. Air Force has used Boeing C-17s to deliver more than 340 passengers and 323 tons of emergency cargo since relief operations began on Jan 14.
Bombardier: The J. Armand Bombardier Foundation and the Bombardier family donated $1.5 million to support relief efforts. A Bombardier Global aircraft was used in an emergency airlift with the Canadian Medical Assistance Teams.
Cobham: SATCOM set up communications systems on the ground to assist air, land and sea transport facilities, hospitals and electrical networks. In a group-wide fund-raising effort, the business unit with raises the most money per head will be matched by Cobham PLC.
Eaton Corp.: Donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross International Disaster Relief Fund and will match employees’ donations to the United Way Worldwide Disaster Relief Fund.
Embraer: The company matched employee contributions to the American Red Cross International Relief Fund.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.: The Air Force deployed several of General Atomics’ MQ-1 Predator drones to provide overhead video imagery to support relief efforts.
Gencorp (Aerojet): The GenCorp Foundation is matching employees’ donations to the American Red Cross Haitian Relief Fund to a maximum of $20,000.
Goodrich: The Goodrich Foundation and employees donated more than $185,000 to Haiti relief efforts.
Harris: Provided medical supplies, communications equipment, meal rations and technical teams to help restore telecommunications connectivity for the military, relief agencies and others involved in recovery and rebuilding.
Honeywell: Gulfstream V business jets delivered emergency medical supplies. The company has pledged $1 million to fund rebuilding projects, while employees have donated nearly $225,000, which the company will match.
ITT: Shipped five water treatment units and Reverse Osmosis units to treat contaminated water and remove salt. Raised more than $400,000, including the company’s double match, toward the relief effort.
Jeppesen: Provided trip kits, flight and trip planning services and NavData navigational databases for aircraft operators delivering food, medicine and other supplies to Haiti.
L-3 Communications: Donated aircraft and pilot time to deliver medical supplies in six to eight relief flights, carrying about 1,300 lbs. of medical supplies per trip.
Lockheed Martin: The corporation donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross’s International Response Fund.
Northrop Grumman: Contributed $500,000 through five agencies supporting the recovery effort and another $1 million through a company-employee matching gift program. The U.S. Air Force has used the RQ-4 Global hawk to provide reconnaissance in support of the humanitarian relief effort.
Parker Aerospace: Contributed equipment and supplies to the relief effort, including medical supplies and water desalinization systems. Also made substantial cash donations to Hands Together and Doctors Without Borders.
Raytheon: Promoted charitable donations on its internal website and matched the first $100,000 of employees’ donations to relief efforts.
Rockwell Collins: Flew a team of doctors to Miami to assist in relief efforts. Contributed $10,000 and encouraged employees to give through non-profits.
Rolls-Royce: Donated medical supplies and encouraged individual contributions to specific partner charities in the U.S. and around the world. Also held local collection drives.
Textron: Donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross International Relief Fund.
United Technologies Corp.: The corporation made a $250,000 donation to the American Red Cross, in addition to $260,000 in UTC employee contributions to Red Cross relief efforts.
Vought Aircraft: Introduced an employee matching gift program in conjunction with Save The Children's Haiti relief efforts.