PIA charters MD-11 to transport relief goods from New York

[Abbas Ali]

NEW YORK, Nov 9 (APP) Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) chartered a cargo plane to transport 80 tons of relief materials for the survivors of the earthquake in NWFP and Azad Kashmir on Tuesday night, the airline General Manager (Americas), Salahuddin, said.

The freighter MD 11 had to be chartered by the national flag carrier as tents, blankets and medicines donated by Pakistani-Americans were piling up at New York's Kennedy airport, he said.

So far, the airlines has been ferrying relief goods on its passengers flights free of cost.

Tuesday's special flight will make a stopover in Frankfurt before proceeding to Islamabad.

The Pakistani community in the united States has been donating generously in cash and kind to help their suffering compatriots. "I have never seen such a spirit of patriotism and mobilization in our community,", a veteran activist said.

Source: Associated Press of Pakistan