Coronavirus response: airlift brings urgent medical supplies to Poland
An AN-124 cargo plane carrying several tons of urgent medical supplies from China, including 190,000 masks and 180,000 protective suits, landed in Wrocław, Poland on Thursday (9 April 2020) to help the country’s fight against COVID-19.
This flight was made possible by the NATO-supported Strategic Airlift International Solution, which provides NATO countries participating in the programme with access to heavy transport aircraft. The Polish government had tasked the mission. Special procedures were in place to ensure the safety of the aircrew, with no direct contact with ground crews allowed.
The Strategic Airlift International Solution, or SALIS, provides NATO countries with a strategic air transport capability. Nine NATO Allies – Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia – currently participate in the programme, managed by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency. The aircraft is operated by Antonov Logistics SALIS from Leipzig/Halle airport.