This story was submitted as part of the #Pledge1Gives GivingTuesday campaign, which celebrates the many ways our member companies are having an impact around the world.
By John Mowry, Managing Director for Alton Aviation Consultancy in New York
Alton Aviation Consultancy was proud to be the first aviation and aerospace company to join Pledge 1%. We did so to reinforce our commitment to giving back, and to demonstrate how social responsibility remains core to our business values.
Fast forward to 2020, and there has never been a more important time for donations of 1% equity, product, or employee time to the communities we serve. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on our world, creating an acute need for financial and humanitarian support.
For the aviation industry, ongoing measures to combat the spread of the virus have led to global restrictions and lockdowns, with passenger travel almost grounding to a complete halt in the early months of this year.
Throughout these unprecedented times, we’ve been proud to watch how commercial aviation stakeholders have come together to support passengers, keeping them safe during their flight, but also in the much wider mission of keeping the world moving throughout the pandemic.
Transporting medical supplies and cargo has been crucial in the COVID-19 response, which is why at Alton Aviation Consultancy, we’re proud to support Airlink, the rapid-response humanitarian relief organization.
For the last three years, the charity has been the largest beneficiary of our Pledge 1% commitment, and this year we’ve watched closely as Airlink has significantly supported numerous pandemic-related relief efforts, delivering nearly eight million pieces of Personal Protective Equipment across three continents. At the same time, Airlink has launched responses to 19 different emergencies worldwide, helping Non-Governmental Organizations to transport 487,490 lbs. of cargo and fly 522 aid workers and volunteers to disasters and crises such as the Beirut port explosion, and Hurricanes Eta, Laura, and Sally.
On this Giving Tuesday, we‘ll be thinking about the valuable work of our charity partners, and also looking at future ways that we can continue to donate 1% of our time to the communities around our offices in New York, Dublin, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Beijing.
For our company, the ethos behind Pledge 1% runs through everything we do and we encourage other aviation companies to consider the movement. It serves as a reminder that in this global world, we are all truly connected, and that even small acts can make a big difference. Learn more on our website.
