LATAM Group’s Solidarity Plane Delivers 34 Tons of Humanitarian Aid to Jamaica Following Hurricane Melissa

As part of the LATAM Group’s Solidarity Plane program, a special humanitarian charter flight landed in Kingston, Jamaica, from Panama City on Saturday, November 1, carrying approximately 34 tons of Red Cross relief supplies to assist families affected by Hurricane Melissa.

The shipment—organized in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and logistics provider Kuehne+Nagel—included solar lamps, emergency response items, plastic tarpaulins, and toolkits, all vital for ongoing relief and reconstruction efforts.

The aid will support up to 1,500 families impacted by the hurricane, which caused widespread damage across parts of the Caribbean nation.

For over 13 years, LATAM’s Solidarity Plane program has leveraged the airline group’s expertise, network connectivity, and cargo and passenger transport capacity to provide free humanitarian support throughout South America. The initiative, built on partnerships with more than 50 organizations across Chile, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil, focuses on projects linked to health, environmental protection, and disaster relief.

The cargo originated from the IFRC’s Humanitarian Logistics Hub in Panama, where pre-positioned relief items are stored to respond swiftly to emergencies. The hub’s warehouses maintain supplies sufficient to assist up to 60,000 people affected by disasters and crises in the Americas.

Cristina Oñate, Vice President of Sustainability and Product at LATAM Cargo Group, said:
“Supporting communities in critical moments is embedded in our sustainability commitment. Through our Solidarity Plane, we prioritize capacity with unmatched agility to deliver humanitarian aid efficiently.
By acting swiftly and working together with our partners, we ensure that our operations deliver real, immediate impact where it’s needed most.”

Stephany Murillo, Regional Logistics Manager for the IFRC, added:
“Thanks to our pre-positioned stock at the Humanitarian Hub in Panama, our knowledge of the terrain, and decades of experience understanding what people need most after a disaster, the IFRC was ready to act as soon as Hurricane Melissa struck.
Partnerships like this one allow us to fulfill our humanitarian mandate — to deliver aid quickly, efficiently, and with dignity, always with the goal of alleviating people’s suffering.”

Kuehne+Nagel contributed by donating its freight forwarding services and expertise, supporting air documentation and international logistics procedures to ensure the mission’s seamless execution.

Ana San Carlos, Sustainability Director for Latin America at Kuehne+Nagel, stated:
“Kuehne+Nagel is proud to be part of such an important mission. Through our solid partnerships, strong network, and emergency logistics expertise, we are honoured to serve those in need at such a critical time.
This shows us once again that collaboration is fundamental to achieving great results.
We thank all colleagues involved for their agility, professionalism, and commitment to the affected communities.”

Through collaborative humanitarian logistics operations like this one, LATAM Cargo, IFRC, and Kuehne+Nagel continue to demonstrate how aviation and logistics partnerships can deliver life-saving impact when speed and solidarity matter most.