United Nations Humanitarian Air Service

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United Nations Humanitarian Air Service
2021 UNNHAS worldwide operation.png
A map showing active UNHAS Operations of 2021
IATA ICAO Call sign
-UNOUNITED NATIONS
Founded2003 (2003) [1]
Fleet size75
Destinations310
Parent company (World Food Programme)
United Nations
Website www.wfp.org/unhas OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), was created in 2003 at the request of the United Nations High-Level Committee on Management, managed by the World Food Programme (WFP), provides common air services, including light cargo transport for the wider humanitarian community to and from areas of crisis and intervention. In most countries requiring humanitarian assistance, surface travel is impeded by challenging security situations, long distances and poor road conditions. Furthermore, most of the destinations the humanitarian community needs to reach are not served by adequate commercial air operators. When no other means of reaching isolated communities are available, aid workers can rely on UNHAS to provide access. [2]

Contents

To fulfill its mission, UNHAS uses a fleet of 75 aircraft and helicopters chartered from commercial air operators that are compliant with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARP) and the United Nations Aviation Standards for Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Air Transport Operations (UNAVSTADS). [3]

Chartered aircraft are fully dedicated to UNHAS operations. Therefore, contracted air carriers are assured of revenue in terms of guaranteed aircraft utilization for the duration of the contract. This, along with UNHAS' efficient management of schedules, ensures that partner air carriers avoid taking undue risks to achieve financial gains. For example, in the event of a flight cancellation due to poor weather conditions, the air carrier would not be financially penalized.

Boeing 737-500 operated by UTair, 2012 United Nations (UTair) Boeing 737-500-1.jpg
Boeing 737-500 operated by UTair, 2012

UNHAS operations

In 2021 UNHAS provided passenger and light cargo services in 23 countries [3]

Fleet

A De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 operated by Voyageur Airways, 2013 De Havilland Canada DHC-8-314 Voyageur Airways C-FEXZ, LUX Luxembourg (Findel), Luxembourg PP1368551176.jpg
A De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 operated by Voyageur Airways, 2013

To fulfil its mission, UNHAS uses a fleet of 75 aircraft, of which 59 are fixed-wing aircraft and 16 are rotary-wing aircraft. [3]

AircraftArea of OperationVariantNotes
Fixed-wing Aircraft
Airbus A320-211 Flag of Yemen.svg  Yemen A320-200
Beechcraft 1900 Flag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan, Flag of Chad.svg  Chad, Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DRC, Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg  Equatorial Guinea, Flag of Guinea.svg  Guinea, Flag of Mali.svg  Mali, Flag of Mauritania.svg  Mauritania, Flag of Somalia.svg  Somalia, Flag of Sudan.svg  Sudan 1900D
Bombardier CRJ Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DRC, Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg  Syria CRJ100/200
Cessna 208 Caravan Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon, Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  CAR, Flag of Chad.svg  Chad, Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DRC, Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia, Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar, Flag of Somalia.svg  Somalia, Flag of Sudan.svg  Sudan
De Havilland Canada 6 Flag of Haiti.svg  Haiti
De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Flag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan, Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  CAR, Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DRC,Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia, Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya, Flag of Niger.svg  Niger, Flag of Somalia.svg  Somalia, Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan, Flag of Yemen.svg  Yemen 100/200/400
Dornier 228 Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  CAR, Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DRC, Flag of Mali.svg  Mali, Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan
Dornier 328 Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria
Embraer 145 Flag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan, Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon, Flag of Chad.svg  Chad, Flag of Libya.svg  Libya, Flag of Niger.svg  Niger, Flag of Sudan.svg  Sudan, Flag of Yemen.svg  Yemen ERJ135/ERJ145
Fokker 50 Flag of Somalia.svg  Somalia
Ilyushin IL-76 Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan
Let L-410 Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  CAR, Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique, Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan
Rotary-wing Aircraft
Airbus EC225 Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria Used in Northeast Nigeria for security and medical transport [3]
Bell 412 Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria
Mi-8 Flag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan, Flag of Burkina Faso.svg  Burkina Faso, Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  CAR, Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DRC, Flag of Haiti.svg  Haiti, Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan,Flag of Yemen.svg  Yemen MI-8T
MI-8MTV/AMT

Performance

In 2021, UNHAS transported 325,112 passengers alongside 5,862 mt of humanitarian cargo and food to 496 destinations (including ad hoc) in 23 countries. Additionally, 3,015 evacuations were carried out during this year, including security relocations, and medical evacuations (including those of COVID-19). [3]

Funding

WFP/UNHAS is funded by contributions from donors and money realized from a partial cost recovery scheme through which passengers pay ticket fees for the air service.

The UNHAS donors in 2021 were: Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, the European Union, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norway, Qatar, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, UNICEF, the United States, the United Nations itself and Private Donors. [3]

References

  1. "Point sur le Service aérien d'aide humanitaire des Nations Unies". World Food Programme. June 20–24, 2022. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  2. "Chapter 6: Flying Humanitarians: The UN Humanitarian Air Service - UN Air Power: Wings for Peace". unairpower.net. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) Annual Review 2021". UNHAS Annual Review. 13 May 2022.