Our contributions support:
Resiliency efforts that ensure communities are prepared in advance of disaster.
Movement of first responders and critical relief supplies to areas of need.
Long-term recovery efforts to get communities back on their feet after disaster strikes.
As an airline, we can respond to disaster and crisis needs in unique ways by delivering relief supplies and volunteers to impacted areas.
In 2024, we supported relief efforts in 35 disasters across the world, including continued support to Ukraine three years into the conflict and relief for both Hurricane Milton and Helene.
This is a world map graphic that showcases through numbered flags the 35 disasters we supported relief efforts for in 2024. The numbers and disasters they are correlated to are in the list below.
Rapid response programs
- Canada - Hurricane
- US (TX) - Wildfires
- US (AR/LA) - Hurricanes and Tornadoes
- US (HI) - Wildfires
- US (Southeast) - Hurricanes
- Mexico - Migrant Crisis
- Columbia - Refugee Crisis
- Brazil - Floods
- Barbados and Grenada - Hurricanes
- Dominican Republic - Haiti Complex Crisis
- Ukraine and Romania - Conflict
- Bangladesh - Health Systems
- Thailand - Typhoon
- The Philippines - Typhoons
- Armenia - Conflict
Recovery programs
- Ecuador - Floods
- US (KY/TN) - Tornadoes
- Morocco - Earthquake
- Turkey and Syria - Earthquake
- Pakistan - Floods
Health System strengthening programs
- Peru
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
- Ethiopia
- Uganda
- Kenya
- Malawi
- Iraq
- Laos
Key highlights:
- 346,000+ lbs. of cargo supplied across 35 disasters across the world, supporting over 57 NGOs through our partnerships with Airlink, American Red Cross and World Central Kitchen.
- 2024 was the year that United was the inaugural recipient of the Humanitarian Force for Good Award in the 50th Annual Air Transport World (ATW) Airline Industry Awards, which recognize excellence across a broad range of airline operations. The recognition celebrates our many long-standing humanitarian and charitable endeavors, including being a founding sponsor of Airlink, a global humanitarian organization that delivers critical aid to communities during natural and manmade disasters.
- Nearly 100,000 meals supported from World Central Kitchen to feed the community during this time.
Hurricane Helene/Milton Support
United and our customers have donated over $600K, 100K in e-travel certificates, and close to 20M miles to support our partners American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, Airlink and Good360 following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. In addition to this, we have flown 200 responders/volunteers to support 18 nonprofits working on supporting those impacted by the hurricanes. We have also donated ~18K day blankets to victims of recent hurricanes through our partner Good360.
Brazil Flood Relief
From May to June 2024, United’s Miles on a Mission program launched a campaign to help the unprecedented floods in Southern Brazil and provide support to our nonprofit partners that use air travel to transport and help in the region. These campaigns raised nearly 2 million miles and nearly $100K for organizations that provided travel support, meals, health and humanitarian services to those affected in the region.
In addition to raising miles, our United Cargo team coordinated and provided aircraft space for 22 pallets containing emergency kits, totaling approximately 4 tons to support these floods. United also supported flights for 58 first responders, focused on providing muck-and-gut services and access to clean water and healthcare, to Southern Brazil.
Continued support in Maui
We made a commitment to help the long-term recovery from the wildfires in Maui, by investing $125,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Maui to help refurbish, refurnish and support the Grand Re-Opening activities of the Lahaina Clubhouse that was impacted and damaged by the wildfire. We also had two groups of volunteers attend the Lahaina Clubhouse to help with projects related to refurbishing the center.