CMA CGM Air Cargo flies 28 tonnes medical supplies to India

The CMA CGM Air Cargo’s chartered Airbus A330-200 freighter, carrying 28 tonnes of medical equipment including eight oxygen plants worth more than Rs17 crore, landed in Delhi from Paris, France. The oxygen plants will be delivered to 8 Indian hospitals, 6 in Delhi, one in Haryana and one in Telangana, based on needs as identified by the Indian authorities. In addition to the oxygen plants, this airfreight will also include 28 ventilators and 200 electric syringe pushers which will be distributed to several hospitals based on needs to enhance their ICU capacities.
This special cargo flight has been chartered free of charge by the French shipping and logistics group CMA CGM through its air cargo division. Alongside CMA CGM, many other French companies present in India have stepped up to pool their contributions and resources with the French government’s to carry out this exceptional solidarity mission. This support also falls within the framework of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).
On this occasion, the Ambassador of France to India, H.E. Emmanuel Lenain, said, “We stand by India in these difficult times, just as India has always stood by France. In Spring 2020, when French hospitals were facing acute shortages, India provided lifesaving help through the export of critical medical drugs. The French people have not forgotten. India has, in fact, been at the forefront of international cooperation against the pandemic, including through sharing its massive vaccine production capacity with countries most in need.
As President Emmanuel Macron said, “Solidarity is at the heart of the strategic partnership between France and India. A partnership between sovereign countries that have built an exceptional mutual trust and work together to enhance each other’s strategic autonomy. This is what we have been doing for years in the fields of defence, nuclear energy, and space. We know now that healthcare is also a pillar of sovereignty. And that is the meaning of our contribution: each of these oxygen generator plants will make an Indian hospital fully oxygen Aatmanirbhar for more than 10 years. I believe healthcare can be a new field to develop our strategic partnership, building on our respective strengths. Together, we will prevail.”