Virginia-based international aviation nonprofit Air Serv International will begin operations the week of July 6, 2020, within the Navajo Nation, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Operations, which include delivering critically needed humanitarian relief supplies, will be primarily funded by a grant from the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT) Foundation, which was awarded in late June 2020.
The ISTAT Foundation, dedicated to supporting individuals and institutions that promote the advancement of commercial aviation and humanitarianism, has committed $500,000 toward COVID-19 relief. The dedicated funding is in addition to the planned giving distributed by the foundation throughout the year in scholarships, internships, education, grants, and humanitarian programs, foundation officials note.
With the support of the ISTAT Foundation, Air Serv will implement an air bridge operation based out of Phoenix, Arizona, to the Navajo Nation territory. The sovereign nation, approximately the size of West Virginia, has a population of just under 200,000 and is experiencing the highest death rate per capita within the United States.
Despite its size, the residents of the Navajo Nation have access to fewer than 20 grocery stores, endure a severe lack of paved roads, and an estimated one third of the population does not have access to running water
“This grant from the ISTAT Foundation directly enables us to do what Air Serv was designed for, which is to bring aid where it’s most needed,” says Air Serv President Stu Willcuts.
The program marks an exception for Air Serv, which has historically operated outside of the United States, and highlights the challenges faced by indigenous tribes, officials added.
“We never imagined that our services would be required here on domestic soil, but we are committed to doing what we can for as long as we are able,” promises Willcuts.
Those who would like to donate to the Navajo Nation operations can do so on Air Serv’s website.