Boeing,
Shanghai
Airlines and the Washington-Sichuan Friendship Association
Unite to Help China Heal
SEATTLE, June 25, 2008 -- The Boeing Company's [NYSE: BA] third Flight of Hope filled Shanghai Airlines' newly delivered 737-800's cargo hold with 300 cases of new cone masks donated by the Washington-Sichuan Friendship Association on June 13 at Boeing Field in Seattle. The masks will be used by relief workers in China as they begin to rebuild some of the hardest hit areas damaged by the earthquake. . Flights of Hope is a collaborative relief flight program between Boeing, its airline customers and nonprofit organizations to provide humanitarian aid in China by filling the empty cargo spaces of newly delivered airplanes with relief materials.. Once delivered, the Sichuan Charity Federation will distribute the masks in needed areas. "Shanghai Airlines Vice President Xiaowen Liu said the earthquake that hit the Sichuan Province in China has received worldwide attention because it was so massive and caused such widespread destruction in the region. "The People's Republic of China sends love and care to the earthquake people," Liu said. "The Chinese people are working together very hard to relieve their load. The rebuilding of our home is going very smooth and these masks will help the Sichuan Province to prevent and protect against disease."
During the loading of the cargo hold, Liu pointed to the white crane
(a Chinese symbol of luck and prosperity) painted on the tail of Shanghai
Airlines' red airplane and said he believes his company's brand will
act as a bridge that enhances the friendship between China and the
United States. . Shanghai Airline was established and started operations in 1985 and was founded by the Shanghai municipal government as the first independently-run local airline in China. It was initially restricted to domestic flights, but in September 1997, won government approval to operate international services. Shanghai
Airlines Chief Executive Officer Fan Hongxi says that Shanghai Airlines
expects to have a fleet of 100 aircraft by 2010 that can handle 17.7
million passengers and 1.5 million tons of cargo and mail annually.
Reported by catch4all.com, Sandra Englund, June 30th, 2008. Sources: |