Azul set up a task force to collect and transport donations to Rio Grande do Sul. The company announced that it will carry out 16 extra flights between the 7th and 13th of May, all of them leaving from Viracopos airport, in Campinas, to the cities of Florianópolis, Navegantes and Jaguaruna, in Santa Catarina.
Furthermore, from last Sunday (5) until the 8th, the company increased capacity on flights operated to the same destinations. Previously carried out on ATR and Embraer E1 and E2 aircraft, with capacity for 70, 118 and 136 customers, respectively, for Airbus A320Neo aircraft, with capacity for 174 customers.
The changes in operation aim to offer more options for customers in Rio Grande do Sul, as operations at Salgado Filho Airport in Porto Alegre are suspended until May 30th. Furthermore, the operation must facilitate the logistics of collecting and delivering donations in different parts of the country. Viracopos Airport is Azul’s hub and will receive collected items. From there, the supplies will be shipped to the South region.
The company has established grocery collection points in more than 160 airports where it operates and in the 103 Azul Viagens stores throughout Brazil. According to Porto Alegre City Hall’s Social Assistance, the most needed items for donation include towels, toilet paper, toothpaste and toothbrushes, soap, bedding and blankets.
Since April 24, the state has been facing one of the biggest climate catastrophes in its history, with 341 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul affected by floods. The affected communities are without access to drinking water, electricity, telephone services and have blocked roads.
