SWEDAVIA"S CHARITY WINDFALL FOR THE SWEDISH RED CROSS

Passengers and employees at Swedavia’s airports donated more than 3.1 million kronor (USD 312,000) to the Red Cross in 2018.

These efforts were highlighted on Tuesday, February 26, in a ceremony featuring Swedavia’s president and CEO, Jonas Abrahamsson, and the secretary general of the Swedish Red Cross, Martin Ärnlöv, at Stockholm Arlanda Airport.

“We are proud of our long-term partnership with the Red Cross. It gives me great pleasure to hand over this donation from our passengers and employees for the Red Cross’s important work of helping people who live in vulnerability around the world and in Sweden,” said Abrahamsson.

Swedavia and the Red Cross have collaborated for many years, with the partners contributing to each other’s operations in a variety of ways, through a number of different activities. 

More than 100,000 people pass through Swedavia’s airports each day. At five of its airports – Stockholm Arlanda, Göteborg Landvetter, Malmö, Stockholm Bromma and Åre Östersund – people have an opportunity to donate money in special collection box, in both Swedish and foreign currency.

“More people than ever, 130 million, need humanitarian assistance to manage their lives, and in Sweden too we see vulnerability on the rise," noted Ärnlöv.

"So it is especially gratifying that there are so many passengers who support this work by helping their fellow human beings."

The donations from Swedavia’s passengers and employees in 2018 could be used in part to fund 4,300 disaster packages, which include warm blankets, basic foodstuffs and clean water for four people for one month or drinking water for 41,000 people for one year.

In addition to these care packages, Swedavia has also helped fund study assistance and language training for young people in Sweden.