CAL, CDEMA deliver PPE, test kits across region

CARIBBEAN Airlines (CAL) Cargo and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) have collaborated to distribute over 2,000 boxes of medical supplies to 16 Caribbean states.

The supplies include personal protective equipment and covid19 test kits donated by the World Health Organization and the United Arab Emirates in an effort to combat covid19 in the region.

A media release issued by the airline on Monday noted that despite the challenge of limited connectivity and cargo capacity across the globe, CAL developed an effective solution to move the supplies to each territory at a subsidised cost.

CAL Cargo transported the supplies to Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica and the Eastern Caribbean, using its freighter and passenger aircraft.

It said the airline also collaborated with interline partners to ship the supplies to destinations where it is not currently offering scheduled flights, including the British Virgin Islands, St Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, Belize and Suriname.

"Caribbean Airlines Cargo continued its freighter operations throughout the pandemic and introduced a cargo charter service to minimise disruption to the supply chain and deliver essential supplies during this critical time."

The release added CAL has operated several charters since, including a shipment of supplies from Guyana to students in Cuba, transporting dairy cows between Miami and Barbados, and a number of flights on which perishable goods and chicks were shipped between Guyana, Toronto and Trinidad.