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2017 storm season has brought devastation to most of the Caribbean region. Many of its paradisiac islands were deeply affected by one or even two category five hurricanes during the month of September. Irma's eye passed over Barbuda, St. Barths, St. Maarten and the British Virgin Islands (BVI) on the first week of the month, while Maria came two weeks after, hitting the US Virgin Islands, Culebra, Vieques and Puerto Rico, among others.
What was left behind? Apart from the destruction of its beautiful flora, which thanks to the magic of Mother Nature is rapidly recovering its amazing colors, both hurricanes blew away important infrastructure, including the essential services of electricity and communication. Thousands of people were stranded in their torn houses, without food, water, clothes, medicines and other basic things needed to live a "normal" life. Unfortunately, these lost things don't recuperate as quickly as trees and flowers. They need human help!
On the bright side, because there is always a ray of light at the end of the tunnel, even in the worst situations, people all around the world have laid eyes on this heavenly region and are helping with what they can to make it come back to its normal stage as fast as it is humanly possible. Since Irma, relief goods have been arriving mainly from the USA to Puerto Rico by sea or air, and from here, transported to the smaller islands. Thus, the need for air cargo companies has grown significantly.
Air America is one of the charter flights companies based in Puerto Rico, that has transformed its business with this emergency, using its recently renovated planes to transport needed supplies such as water, food, clothes, medicines, power generators and construction materials, from Luis Muñoz Marín and Isla Grande airports to Culebra, Vieques, the USVI and BVI, St. Maarten, St. Barths and even to the Dominican Republic, which also received the impact of Irma in some of its northern towns.
Most of the islands in the Caribbean have very small airports, incapable of receiving big airline planes. This is why companies like Air America Air Cargo Division have been crucial for their recovery after the devastation that both hurricanes caused.
Unlike the cities of Houston, New Orleans or Mexico that have been affected recently by natural disasters, the Caribbean Islands cannot receive help through ground transportation. They only have the sea or the air available. This logistic impediment has definitely affected the velocity of their recovery, forcing in a good way, small airline companies that only transported passengers with touristic purposes, to reinvent themselves into a cargo perspective.
Since the second week of September, Air America has successfully expanded its service by making cargo flights to serve its neighbor islands in need to recover rapidly for the high tourism season that is beginning this month. Big companies and individuals that want to help, have contracted their airplanes to send important materials to the different islands and also to Arecibo and Mayaguez, which are located in the northern and western part of Puerto Rico, respectively.
Many things have changed in the islands of the Caribbean due to the furious winds and copious rain that came along with Irma and María, the most mentioned female names worldwide in the last two months. Oh, yes indeed! People and businesses have had to reinvent themselves in order to stay alive and kicking. And even though things will come back to normal eventually in this small but immensely beautiful islands, it is going to be a "new normal" for everyone.
Air America is no different and has reinvented itself. As they say, bad things always bring something good even though is hard to see. Opening its cargo division in this emergency situation has been for this company the positive side within the disaster. An opportunity knocked and they opened the door! Now they will keep transporting people to enjoy their precious Caribbean destinies, as it has always done, but it also will maintain its new cargo division to this same islands. When it all comes back, that will be its "new normal" Air America Charter and Cargo flights in the new Caribbean.
So, what can you do to transport relief goods to help the Caribbean Islands affected by Irma and Maria? Contact Air America Cargo Division today! They fly daily to destinations such as the U.S Virgin Islands of St. Thomas (STT) and St. Croix (STX); the British Virgin Islands of Tortola (EIS), Anguilla (AXA), Anegada (NGD), Virgin Gorda (VIJ) and Jost Van Dyke; and the puertorrican islands of Vieques (VQS) and Culebra (CPX).
Their facilities are located at the San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) and the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport, best known as the Isla Grande Airport (SIG).
If you live outside Puerto Rico and cannot deliver your materials personally, you can send them through your favorite shipping company to:
Air America Caribbean
At FBO facilities Airport Aviation Service
575, Jose Santana Av.
Carolina, 00979.
Or
Air America Caribbean
At Isla Grande Airport North Ramp Lote 1 B
San Juan PR, 00907
If you prefer a maritime freight forwarder, which will take a little more time, but will save you money as well, the destination is the Dock of San Juan, known in Spanish as "Muelle de San Juan". The official address to send relief by sea through companies like Tote Marine or Crowley, is:
Front Isla Grande Airport
San Juan PR 00904
We the people cannot fight against nature's force. It is by far much stronger and wiser than the strongest human being. But we certainly can help those affected from its sporadically unexpected rages"¦ Call Air America Cargo Division to coordinate your relief goods' transportation to the Caribbean Islands. They will soon be ready to welcome you to its paradise!