Global aircraft charter firm Air Charter Service (ACS) has arranged a number of cargo charters carrying essential aid to the typhoon-ravaged Philippines and expects one of the largest relief operations in recent years.

Typhoon Haiyan, which swept through six central Philippine islands on Friday, has claimed around 10,000 victims in the city of Tacloban alone, and left many hundreds of thousands more homeless  and requiring urgent aid including water purification equipment, food and shelter.

ACS’s Group cargo director, Justin Lancaster, said: “We have been working continuously over the weekend developing a situation report for the region: checking airport details and aircraft availabilities, so that we can advise relief agencies as soon as they call us.”

“We have already booked almost 500 tonnes of cargo to be flown out, on various aircraft types, and expect a lot more in the coming days.

“Cebu Airport seems to be the main hub that is being requested currently and we will have ACS staff on the scene at the airport in the morning to help coordinate things on the ground over there and to make sure that the aircraft are offloaded efficiently so the agencies get their relief to those in need as soon as possible,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service