Back to the Mike

     Mike Oslansky, United Cargo’s ebullient head of U.S. Cargo Operations, reached out to update us on the carrier’s campaign to deliver emergency relief supplies to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.
     Mike first detailed United’s response to the devastating effect of multiple hurricanes in FlyingTypers’ September 20th edition.
     He picks up the story from there:

Energy Abounds

     “I continue to be overwhelmed by the enormous energy the United team is putting into this humanitarian effort.
     “In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria, through the work and passion of countless United employees, we operated several humanitarian-only flights to the island.


Getting Back On Schedule

     “Logistics conditions are still very challenging and United Cargo is just now resuming limited regular cargo service. While United flew a limited passenger schedule, we continued to carry essential relief supplies on flights from our New York/Newark and Chicago hubs.
     “The totals keep growing, but as of the first week of October I’m gratified to say United has transported more than 1.5 million pounds of desperately-needed relief supplies to areas pummeled by Harvey and Maria.
     “In addition, because so many United employees have family and friends in Puerto Rico, we launched a first-ever program to enable United employees to send relief cargo free-of-charge to SJU and BQN.


A Family Affair

     “The response from the United family to this opportunity was tremendous – I won’t say surprising, because I’ve reached the point where the generosity and compassion in response to this crisis surprises me. Over 700 ‘family and friends’ shipments were donated and more than 150,000 pounds of requested supplies have been flown so far.
     “One thing that’s become increasingly clear is that people genuinely, desperately want to help. So it’s satisfying to provide them a way to make that happen. And because the need is still great and the United team is so generous, we’re relaunching our employee relief shipping program this week.
     “Another great example of generosity and willingness to sacrifice is a United 777-300ER that flew from Newark to San Juan last Wednesday.
     “Along with 35,000 pounds of food, water and other essential supplies, the flight carried more than 300 first responders and volunteers – nurses, doctors, engineers, carpenters, truck drivers and other highly-skilled professionals – to assist in relief and rebuilding efforts on the island. All these experts and the United crew volunteered their time for this mission, and none of the volunteers hesitated for a moment when they were asked.

Ongoing Effort

     “When I think about the totals I referenced earlier, I’m humbled to be able to speak for everyone who has contributed to this labor of love – United teammates, our partners, and those who generously donated the supplies we shipped. This effort is ongoing, so this is not the time to exhale and evaluate. But I expect that eventually we will look at those numbers and say we were all involved in something memorable and valuable.”
Geoffrey