DUBAI, UAE – Emirates continues to take flight beyond the skies, creating meaningful connections within the communities it serves through its Aircrafted KIDS initiative. This heartwarming project recently reached 700 young students in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, bringing smiles and school essentials in the form of one-of-a-kind handmade backpacks crafted from upcycled aircraft interiors.
Thoughtfully designed from the high-quality seat fabric of Emirates Economy Class seats, the backpacks are made from 95% wool and 5% nylon and are durable, non flammable, and perfectly suited for an exciting new purpose. It’s a new way to upcycle materials from the airline’s cabin refit project, repurposing over 50,000 kilograms of material from 205 aircraft.
In India, Emirates collaborated with Smile Foundation India, a respected institution that provides education, healthcare and livelihood programmes to children aged between 6-14 years. In Bangladesh, Emirates partnered with Kanan, Thikana (Shelter Home), and Ahsania Mission Shishu Nagari – three sister entities across Dhaka that provide shelter for women and children, and a safe place to nurture education and wellbeing. In Pakistan, Emirates worked with SOS Children’s Villages, a renowned entity which serves local communities by creating a nurturing and inspirational space for financially disadvantaged youths to continue their education. Through the Emirates Airline Foundation, Emirates has a long history of supporting children’s welfare programmes, and Aircrafted Kids is an extension of this work.
The journey of these unique backpacks began in a dedicated Emirates workshop, where a creative team of 14 Engineering Maintenance Assistants meticulously crafted them, ensuring safety, comfort, and durability. The Emirates Corporate Communications, Marketing & Brand team then worked closely with local NGOs to ensure that the bags would make a lasting impact.
Emirates has a local office in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, so each entity was visited by the Emirates representatives who helped pack the bags and distribute them and were eager to connect with the organisations who do such important work in the community. Inside the bags, Emirates provided school supplies such as stationary, calculators and essentials, as well as a variety of books that can be shared throughout schools.
The next stop on the Aircrafted Kids schoolbags trail is Egypt, with more destinations in the MENA region to follow.
With the transport and logistics fully supported by Emirates’ SkyCargo teams, and dnata Logistics across the continents – Aircrafted Kids by Emirates connected the community of employees within Emirates to achieve a meaningful goal.
