The rise in aviation fuel prices caused by the Iran conflict threatens to have an impact even in the remotest corners of the world. MAF South Africa (https://www.mafsa.co.za/), based in Johannesburg, has launched an awareness and fundraising campaign to mitigate the impact and ensure that flights to remote communities in Africa, South America and Asia can continue.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz in connection with the war has caused fuel prices to rise sharply. Kerosene prices rose even faster than those for vehicle fuel, as kerosene for global use is refined more frequently than average at facilities in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — countries that rely on the Strait of Hormuz for transit, says MAF SA in a media statement.
In some areas where MAF operates, such as East Africa, fuel prices rose by more than 50% in just a few days. In Indonesia, the country where MAF operates the most flights, the price of kerosene rose by as much as 67%. After staff costs and maintenance costs, fuel costs are the organisation’s main item of expenditure.
Committed to serving isolated communities
“MAF continues to fly, and our teams remain committed to serving isolated communities who depend on our aircraft for access to medical care, essential supplies, and connection to the outside world,” says Maxine Holman, CEO in MAF South Africa.
“The current fuel crisis linked to the conflict involving Iran is a serious and immediate concern. We are doing everything we can to ensure that our aircraft are not grounded and that the communities we serve do not lose access to life-saving flights because of a crisis far beyond their control.
“For many people living in remote and isolated (cut-off) places, an MAF flight is not a convenience, it can be the difference between receiving urgent medical care or being left without help. We regularly support flights for medical emergencies, health and education services, mission partners, and communities where there are few or no reliable transport alternatives.
“This is why continued support is so important. Keeping our aircraft in the air means keeping help, hope, and life-saving access within reach, for some of the world’s most cut-off communities.”
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Life-saving flights
MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) is an international Christian aid organisation that flies to the most inaccessible areas in the world. With a fleet of over 116 aircraft, MAF delivers aid where there are no roads and people live in isolation. Every year, MAF carries out thousands of flights worldwide for medical evacuations, emergency aid transport and support for development projects. According to the latest figures, 34 000 flying hours are logged, 44 400 flights are carried out, and 120 000 passengers are transported annually.
MAF in South Africa is a leading African branch of MAF International, playing a strategic role in the organisation’s mission across the continent. It recruits and equips African bush pilots and specialist support staff, while also cultivating a dedicated donor community whose generosity helps sustain MAF’s global operations. Together, these efforts enable life-saving flights that take off or land every five and a half minutes somewhere in the world.
Challenge of African ‘bush flying’
Unbeknown to many, there is a high level of expertise in so-called “bush flying” across the African continent, one of the most challenging disciplines in aviation. This specialised form of flying includes operating in remote and demanding environments, often using short or unpaved airstrips.
MAF is exploring how Africa’s existing aviation expertise could be strengthened and developed further, including possible future pathways for recruiting, equipping and training more African pilots for this specialised field. One concept currently being considered is how Africa-based training and assessment could contribute to building aviation capacity across the continent.
MAF focuses on people living in cut-off places; using aircraft MAF makes these people accessible to aid and the Gospel. Thanks to MAF, more than 1 000 global (aid) organisations can carry out their work more quickly, efficiently and safely.
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