The materials for the support of the missions of the World Food Programme have departed from the Brindisi Airport Detachment. The aircraft, an Antonov from the British company Meridian Aviation, which came from Basel (Switzerland), landed in Brindisi at 10:44 and, after being loaded, departed at 13:01 towards the city of Boryspil (Ukraine). On the aircraft, 192 tents for cold climates, each with six beds, and 105 stoves, necessary to cope with the emergency caused by the cold wave that hit the country, were loaded.
The material, shipped on behalf of the United Nations Humanitarian Aid Coordination Agency with the contribution of the Norwegian (Norwey Ocha) and Irish (Irish Aid) governments, will be subsequently delivered to the Ukrainian Government’s Civil Protection Department.
The Brindisi detachment, under the command of the Deputy Logistics Commander, provides support for the “peace-keeping” and humanitarian operations of the “United Nations Global Service Center” (UNGSC) and the “World Food Programme” (WFP), ensuring 24/7 assistance to the aircraft passing through NATO countries. It also manages the control of commercial air traffic in transit at Brindisi airport. In 2011, the Air Traffic Control Service handled 22,000 movements, an increase of 3 % compared to the previous year, allowing the Brindisi airport to register over 2 million passengers in transit.
