The FedEx Express charter flight from Cologne, Germany, touched down on Thursday 9 June at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and the cargo was offloaded and transported on FedEx Express trucks to a Nestle distribution centre.
Tim Wertner, Senior Vice President Western Division US Operations at FedEx Express, says, “Our integrated air and ground networks allow us to move time-sensitive shipments like much-needed formula safely and quickly. Our pilots, drivers, and operations team members are well-versed in handling these types of critical shipments and are proud to help with this mission.”
It has helped with other Operation Fly Formula flights by offloading and transporting the first shipment on 22 May.
On 25 May, a FedEx Express MD-11F touched down at Washington Dulles International Airport with 45 tonnes of Gerber baby formula flown from the Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
The shipment was moved by FedEx Express to Nestle’s distribution centre in Pennsylvania.
Delta Cargo will transport 96 tonnes of Kendamil Organic and Classic baby formula over 13 flights, free of charge between 20 and 24 June.
The flights from London’s Heathrow Airport will fly the formula to Boston Logan International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.
Rob Walpole, Vice President of Delta Cargo, says, “Delivering baby formula to those who need it most as part of Operation Fly Formula is one way we can live out a deeply ingrained core value at Delta: a commitment to serving the health and well-being of our communities.”
Under Operation Fly Formula, the departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services are authorised to use Defense Department-contracted commercial aircraft to transport infant formula that meets US standards.
The operation comes at a time when some states in the US are facing severe shortages of baby formula, including in Tennessee, Texas and IOWA where top-selling brands are out of stock.