Aeroflot Launches “A Heart With Two Wings” Charity Program

Moscow - Today Aeroflot launched a new program «A Heart with two wings» that will provide assistance to children with serious and rare illnesses living in remote areas of our country and requiring hi-tech medical care which cannot usually be provided in their home region. At the same time, travelling to the place of treatment often represents a serious financial problem for many parents.

Under «A Heart with two wings» initiative, Aeroflot defrays all costs related to transfers of ill children and adults accompanying them to the metropolitan Institute of Pediatrics and back. The list of children needing immediate medical care is formed by the project’s partner — the Scientific Center of Children Health under the Russian Academy of Medical Science (RAMS). Media partner of the charity program is National Media Group.

«A Heart with two wings» has a significant importance for the inhabitants of Russia’s most remote regions like Siberia, Far East, and Kaliningrad where the only way to quickly get to a Moscow clinic is by plane. The project not only envisages free flights for ill children with accompanying adults but also provides transportation of medical teams from the Scientific Center of Children Health to the farthest corners of our country for «fieldwork» and early diagnostics of serious illnesses.

The program started with the arrival of the project’s first participant Polina Shapovalova from Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Region, to the Institute of Pediatrics on Lomonosovskiy avenue in Moscow. This 6 years old girl needs to undergo a course of medical treatment available only in the capital of Russia to fight a serious disease.

«Aeroflot carries out several children charity programs; it was quite natural for us to respond to a state initiative undertaken in the interests of little Russian citizens,» — air company’s CEO Vitaly Saveliev declared during the ceremony held on the occasion. «Now our country has all the possibilities to provide qualified help to children with various illnesses. Aeroflot strives to do everything to ensure these possibilities are used with maximum effectiveness.»

Alexander Baranov, Director of the Scientific Center of Children Health under the RAMS, commented: «We are very pleased to be Aeroflot’s partners in the charity project helping Russian children. Our Scientific Center has been the flagship of the country’s children health care for more than 250 years. In the framework of „A heart with two wings“ program, we are also planning to send the best doctors of our center to the remote regions of Russia. Children will have a qualified primary diagnostics and, if necessary, will be sent to Moscow for treatment.»

The unique program has been elaborated and launched the year Aeroflot celebrates its 90th anniversary. The initiative outsteps the limits of just an anniversary event and has a long-term perspective. The flag carrier thus contributes to governmental actions aimed at surrounding little citizens of our country with maximum care and providing them with the best conditions possible.

Aeroflot actively participates in such children charity programs as «Miles of mercy» and «Train of hope». Fighting the consequences of devastating high-water in the Far East, the flag carrier organized transfers and evacuation of children from the most affected regions.

Paying special attention to little passengers is a part of corporate philosophy of Russia’s leading air company. The surveys show that Aeroflot ranks among key air companies of the world creating best in-flight conditions for children.

Сelebrating its 90-th anniversary in 2013, Aeroflot is Russia’s flagship airline and the largest national air company. Proudly being a member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance, Aeroflot with its partnering members provides service to more than 1000 destinations in 178 countries. Aeroflot operates one of the most modern and youngest fleets in Europe counting 139 aircraft formed by Airbus, Boeing and Sukhoi airliners with an average airplane age between five and six years old. In 2012 Aeroflot carried 17.7 million passengers (27.5 million passengers as Aeroflot Group), continuously showing the best results in modern Russia’s history. In June 2013 Aeroflot was for the second time awarded by SKYTRAX as The Best Airline in Eastern Europe. Find more at www.aeroflot.com.