In the wake of the devastating earthquake that has struck Haiti, Transat will be lending its support to humanitarian efforts being deployed in the country by the Canadian Red Cross Society and SOS Children's Villages. Transat will immediately donate $25,000 to the Red Cross's Haiti Earthquake Fund. The international tour operator will give another $25,000 to its partner SOS Children's Villages, which runs a village for orphaned and abandoned children in Port-au-Prince and is already hard at work providing assistance to the local population.
Transat is also organizing a fundraising campaign of unprecedented magnitude within its own organization, calling upon the generosity of all its employees, as well as those of the nearly 450 travel agencies within its distribution network - Canada's largest with some 2,300 travel advisors. The company will match, dollar for dollar, employee contributions to the Canadian Red Cross's special Haiti disaster fund.
In addition, beginning January 16th and for the next three weeks, Air Transat passengers will be encouraged to make donations during flights. This fundraising initiative, already in operation under the banner "Small Change, Big Hearts" (in French, "Petite monnaie, Grands cœurs"), is made possible thanks to the commitment of flight crews. Exceptionally, the amounts collected will be shared between the Canadian Red Cross and SOS Children's Villages, to go toward disaster relief in Haiti.
"We cannot help but be moved by the misfortune and hardship that Haiti's people are now facing, and we intend to take all means at our disposal to respond to their pressing needs," said Jean-Marc Eustache, President and Chief Executive Officer of Transat. "We also wish to express our deepest sympathies to everyone affected by this tragic event."
Air Transat's weekly flight to Haiti is temporarily suspended, since the airport is unable to receive it.
