Aviation as a Lifeline: Airlink Panel in Singapore Spotlights Power of Collaboration in Disaster Response Across Asia Pacific
On 11 March 2026, Airlink convened aviation, humanitarian, and corporate leaders at the Airbus Singapore Campus for an impactful discussion and exchange − a space to strengthen the kinds of cross-sector partnerships that sit at the heart of Airlink’s mission, so that aid can move faster and more effectively when disaster strikes.
The event “Humanitarian Aid Logistics: The Speed of Aviation and the Power of Collaboration” was hosted by the Airbus Foundation and spotlighted how the global aviation industry is reshaping the speed and reach of disaster response across Asia Pacific.
Mr. Anand Stanley, President of Airbus Asia-Pacific and an Airlink Trustee, opened the session by reflecting on the critical role aviation plays in disaster response and emphasized the importance of platforms like Airlink in connecting that capability to communities in need. He also reaffirmed Airbus’s continued commitment to its partnership with Airlink, pledging ongoing support as the two organisations look to expand this work across the region.
Airlink President and CEO Ms. Paloma Adams-Allen followed with remarks on the scale of humanitarian need across Asia Pacific, the world’s most disaster-prone region, and how Airlink’s model brings the humanitarian and private sectors together to get the right aid to the right place at the right time.
Ms. Claire Leow, Airlink’s Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, welcomed attendees and noted that the most effective partnerships are rarely built during a crisis but well before one. She also touched on Airlink’s role in first-mile delivery, moving aid from donors and warehouses to the aircraft that carry them into the intended destination.
The panel, moderated by Ms. Leow, featured Mr. Judson Chhabra, Head of WFP-UNHRD Kuala Lumpur; Ms. Nuraiza Khairuddin, Regional Logistics Manager at IFRC Asia Pacific; Mr. Adam Cowburn, Managing Director Singapore at Alton Aviation Consultancy; and Mr. Firzan Hashim, Country Director of A-PAD Sri Lanka.
The panel drew on first-hand experience from across the response chain. Mr. Judson Chhabra of WFP-UNHRD KL spoke to the operational realities of moving aid under pressure, including the 2025 Myanmar earthquake response coordinated amid active conflict and monsoon flooding. Ms. Nuraiza Khairuddin of IFRC Asia Pacific emphasised how Airlink’s support has helped the federation move critical shipments faster and reach communities when and where it matters most. Mr. Adam Cowburn spoke from Alton Aviation Consultancy’s perspective as a longstanding Airlink donor, reflecting on what sustains corporate commitment to humanitarian logistics over time and how organisations can build sustainable, long-term giving processes. He shared his satisfaction as a donor in hearing directly from Airlink’s partners about the exemplary work their support makes possible on the ground.
Representing A-PAD SL, Country Director Mr. Firzan Hashim discussed how coordinated, pre-established partnerships translated into a fast, effective response on the ground during Cyclone Ditwah. With a pressing need for clean water among affected communities, A-PAD SL’s relationships with Airlink partners proved decisive. He reiterated that continuous engagement with government, private sector, and humanitarian actors is essential to mobilise resources faster and reach the last mile more effectively. He stressed that last-mile delivery is often the most difficult and most critical link in the chain, since it determines whether aid actually reaches the people who need it.
The discussion closed with a look ahead to an intensifying cycle of climate-driven crises across Asia Pacific, and a call to the partners in the room and their organisations to keep investing in the relationships and coordination mechanisms that make a fast response possible. As the panel made clear, the partnerships that matter most in a crisis are the ones built long before it happens.
Airlink’s model rests on mobilising excess capacity on commercial flights to move aid where it is needed, fast. Through its partnership with the Airbus Foundation, the organisation has supported response efforts across 13 countries in Asia Pacific, moving more than 350 tons of relief cargo and reaching over 1.6 million people. Over the past 15 years, Airlink has responded to 59 crises across the region, with 2025 alone surpassing the combined response volume of the previous three years − a signal of just how fast humanitarian need is accelerating.
