Key messages
air services are a lifeline for millions of vulnerable people in humanitarian crisis where quick and safe access is critical to save lives;
Due to lack of reliable infrastructure, access to many crises is difficult and often altogether impossible. Therefore humanitarian air services are often the only way to get access to remote places and reach people in need;
On top of transporting humanitarian supplies and workers, humanitarian air services perform medical and security evacuations;
The European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department ECHO operates a direct air service, ECHO Flight, in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and also funds other humanitarian air services in a bid to improve the speed and safety of the delivery of humanitarian aid.