Airbus, Bolloré Logistics and WFS race two million face masks to help protect Covid-19 health workers in France and Spain

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has worked alongside Airbus and Bolloré Logistics to expedite the distribution of two million face masks to health workers in France and Spain to support the life-saving medical teams in both countries battling the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The three companies – all leaders in their respective fields and all headquartered in France – joined forces to support the government and healthcare sector response to the Covid-19 crisis. With demand for face masks to help protect healthcare workers, public service employees and the general public from the virus far exceeding supply, Airbus operated one of its own A330-800 passenger aircraft to Tianjin in China to collect the shipment.

Co-ordinated with its logistics partner Bolloré, the Airbus flight returned to Toulouse, where WFS’ cargo handling specialists were ready to quickly offload the cargo and make the necessary preparations for the masks to reach their final destinations across France and Spain. The WFS team broke down the shipment, immediately despatching masks into the healthcare sector in France as well as repalletizing and loading the masks destined to help the relief effort in Spain.

From Toulouse, an Airbus A400M carried face masks to Getafe in Spain, completing the operation on 24 March.

Hugo Rodrigues, Vice President Cargo France at WFS, said: “The critical need for face masks to prevent coronavirus infections has led to a global shortage of this essential equipment. It is therefore vital for the air logistics chain to be able to respond immediately when new stocks become available. With our global network of cargo handling stations, we have teams on the ground ready to ensure these life-saving cargoes reach those who need them within just a matter of hours. This is the power of air cargo and demonstrates the vital importance of the entire air cargo supply chain to the global response to the coronavirus. We will be working with Airbus and Bolloré Logistics on more relief flights carrying urgent medical equipment in the coming days. This is a race against time. I also want to thank the WFS cargo team in Toulouse because we are very proud of the commitment and professionalism they are showing in the current, most challenging circumstances.”

“We want to thank everyone involved in helping to ensure this most urgent cargo reached the front-line medical staff so quickly. It is important that the medical professionals helping to treat Covid-19 patients can feel confident that the logistics and cargo handling industry is there to provide all the help and support they need at this most difficult time, and has the ability to act immediately,” added Marc Yorann, Project Manager at Bolloré Logistics.