23.04.08 - Humanitarian assistance to a distant island It is becoming traditional for Ukrainian Helicopters pilots, to come to the Madagascar people?s relief when prejudiced by the devastating effect of tropical hurricanes. This time thousand of families are left without a roof over their heads in the eastern part of the island, under the action of the cyclone with the eloquent name ?Ivan the Terrible?.
Like the previous year, the main operations were related to the humanitarian cargo transportation to the villages which are inaccessible to the overland mode of transport. During less than one month the Aviation Company transported 260 tons of foodstuff. A considerable part of it was transported on external sling being this mode of transportation more economic and faster. Mr. Roger Berriaux, the representative of the World Food Programme who accompanied the operations, said the utilization factor of the aircraft was rather high and achieved 105%.
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