UN requests Spain Canary Islands to provide stopover for possible airlift of humanitarian aid

[FrenchieGirl]

UN requests Spain Canary Islands to provide stopover for possible airlift of humanitarian aid (in Spanish)

Google (approximate) translation

The United Nations has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to use the airport of Gran Canaria - either the civil one or the military one, as the basis for establishing an airlift to Africa to facilitate the movement of humanitarian personnel to countries affected by the crisis Ebola, as reported on Monday by the delegate of the World Food Programme (WFP) of the UN in Las Palmas, Pablo Yuste.

 

[FrenchieGirl]

Re: UN requests Spain Canary Islands to provide stopover for possible airlift of humanitarian aid

Comment

There has been as yet no reply. This request has been reported in the news today, but I recall it is probably several days old, I think I saw it elsewhere.

Note that Spain (Canary Islands) initially refused the refuelling of the medical airplane that was repatriating the Norwegian nurse last week.

Only after Morocco and Portugal also refused refuelling did Spain relent and authorize the landing of that plane for 45 minutes, with all doors shut, no-one coming in or out of the airplane.

I would think it may well be that the plane declared emergency to obtain a landing permission. As far as I know, calling Mayday is the only way where a plane can land wherever is deemed appropriate and ATC must give it assistance. The airplane refuelled again in Paris (France).

I hate to think what would have happened if that plane had crashed for lack of fuel somewhere inhabited...