Boeing Activates Airlift Capabilities to Aid Battle Against COVID-19

Today, Boeing completed its first mission to transport essential medical supplies to healthcare professionals and first responders working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Working in partnership with FIRST Robotics founder, Dean Kamen, Boeing sent a 737-700 aircraft from its corporate fleet to China for the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) to bring back to the United States. The company successfully transported 540,000 medical-grade face masks, which will be distributed to healthcare professionals battling COVID-19 in the state of New Hampshire.

Kamen, who is also the founder of DEKA, a New Hampshire-based research-and-development firm, leveraged his connections to secure the face masks from Chinese manufacturers.

Thanks to his longstanding relationship with Boeing, Kamen was able to enlist the aviation giant’s help in transporting this critical protective gear to New England. DEKA is actually the importer of record for the provision and delivery of protective masks to New Hampshire’s healthcare professionals.

“I’m proud that I can again partner with the Boeing team to meet the needs of our frontline healthcare professionals fighting COVID-19,” said Kamen. “Now more than ever, help from companies like Boeing is critical so we can continue to make sure protective equipment gets to the people who need it most.”

Boeing president and CEO, Dave Calhoun, said, “We are honored to have conducted today’s airlift mission and we look forward to providing continued support in the fight against this pandemic.”

Our first COVID-19 airlift mission is complete. We carried 500K+ medical-grade face masks from China to New Hampshire.
Our partnership with @FIRSTweets‘ Dean Kamen, and @GovChrisSununu will help protect frontline healthcare workers in that state.
More: https://t.co/rJ02uwkQp7 pic.twitter.com/kUnlRUrbP8

— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) April 18, 2020

Boeing remains dedicated to supporting America’s communities and the tireless efforts of those heroic healthcare workers fighting the spread of COVID-19.

The company is coordinating closely with the government to determine how best to assist areas of the U.S. in greatest need of support and is planning additional airlift transport missions using the Boeing Dreamlifter and ecoDemonstrator.

Boeing is also manufacturing its own 3D-printed, medical-grade face shields to support the brave work of the nation’s healthcare professionals during the pandemic. An initial shipment of 2,300 face shields was delivered last week to the Department of Health and Human Services in Dallas, Texas.

For more information, visit boeing.com.