18 January 2010

NIGERIAN EAGLE AIRLINES RAISES FUNDS FOR HAITI VICTIMS

Lagos, Nigeria: 18 January 2010: Nigerian Eagle Airlines, formerly Virgin Nigeria Airways, the nation’s private sector airline is to introduce special onboard envelopes on flights across its route network to raise funds to support the ongoing humanitarian and rescue activities in Haiti.

While formally introducing the specially designed onboard envelopes in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer, Captain Dapo Olumide said that Nigerian Eagle Airlines is deeply concerned about the scale of disaster left in the wake of the earthquake and pledged the airlines’ commitment towards raising funds to make a difference in the support of ongoing humanitarian activities.

“Nigerian Eagle Airlines is a responsive and caring airline that pays serious attention to issues that concerns humanity; and it is our wish that this humble gesture to identify with the present plight of the victims of the quake will bring succour as well as improve the health conditions of the survivors through this initiative”, Captain Olumide said.

Dapo Olumide further said that the airline has equally initiated discussions for the onward transfer of proceeds that will be realised through the medium provided by the airline.

While noting that network wide flights will be used as the vehicle to raise donations for the worthy humanitarian course, Captain Olumide said that the airline’s crop of dedicated staff are committed to the success of the fund raising programme to assuage the sufferings of the Haitians.

With the introduction of the Haiti fund raising envelopes aboard flights, the airline will temporarily suspend a similar partnership with The Sonny Kuku Foundation to pave way for the successful coordination for a three month period.

With a formal introduction of the envelopes, onboard announcements will be made on all flights across Nigerian Eagle Airlines’ route network to encourage passengers to voluntarily donate which they will thereafter hand over to cabin crew members for onward delivery to a central collection centre that is supervised by the CEO’s office.

The airline has always been involved in global and local initiatives that have direct impact on humanity. Notably is its partnership in 2006 with the United Nations World Food Programme towards eradicating hunger and malnutrition among children as well as its recent partnership with The Sonny Kuku Foundation to raise funds for research and clinical management of sickle cell anaemia.

It will be recalled that a powerful earthquake last week ripped through Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, leaving in its wake a devastating effect which is reported to have left no fewer than 100,000 persons dead as well as well as another quarter of a million displaced.