El Al Airlines brings humanitarian mission to San Antonio
By Brian Pratte, City of San Antonio Chief Air Service Development Officer
The San Antonio International Airport (SAT) has become the epicenter of a three-day humanitarian cargo mission. In all, four international cargo flights from Tel Aviv, Israel, operated by EL AL Airlines, will have traveled to San Antonio with medical personal protective equipment (PPE).
On Sunday, May 17, two B787-9 aircraft arrived in San Antonio, dropped off equipment and returned to Israel. This pattern was repeated again on Monday, May 18. Each of the B787-9 aircraft used its main cabin seats to secure the medical supplies on the plane, in addition to cargo holds below.
SAT, Customs and Border Protection, El AL Airlines and various other agencies and businesses worked together to perform this mission, which entailed a significant level of collaboration to coordinate all of the logistical details of these trips.
San Antonio is a global city with a dynamic economy and workforce, a deep cultural heritage and diverse communities that are resilient and welcoming. It is one of the strongest fiscally managed cities in the country, nurturing entrepreneurship, encouraging investment and funding infrastructure. America’s seventh-largest city offers a vibrant business climate and growth opportunities in bioscience, financial services, aerospace, cybersecurity, energy, transportation, manufacturing and healthcare. In 2015, UNESCO designated San Antonio’s 18th century Spanish colonial missions as a World Heritage Site – the first in Texas. Proudly called Military City, USA®, San Antonio is home to one of the largest populations of active duty military, veterans and crucial military commands.