Overview

By continuing to adjust its response during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation  successfully worked with existing and new partners to support activities that protected and saved lives, helped preserve the Earth’s increasingly fragile ecosystem, and inspired the youth of today who will become the decision-makers of tomorrow.

The Foundation leverages Airbus products, services and people to address the challenges of today's society. During 2021, this involved a cross-section of Airbus businesses, built on the dedication of Airbus employees and the Foundation’s management team.

Rachel Schroeder was named the Airbus Foundation Managing Director in 2021.  One of her first priorities was to develop the newly identified Environment pillar.  The Foundation defined its work in this area with a commitment to address climate change and the impact of humans on the environment.  Airbus products and services in climate assessment and prediction – especially its Earth-viewing satellites – are powerful tools, and they were a valuable resource whose support ranged from the preservation of wildlife and ecosystems to assessment and monitoring.

Responses to natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic were key drivers for the Airbus Foundation’s humanitarian response in 2021, supporting missions in Africa, South America, the Caribbean and the Asia/Pacific. Airlift missions performed with Airbus flight test aircraft and through the deliveries of new Airbus-built airliners to its customers carried tonnes of aid and equipment. Helicopter flight hours sponsored by the Airbus Foundation enabled the transportation of vital aid and material directly to areas affected by severe weather, floods, an earthquake, as well as to regions significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Foundation signed a cooperation agreement with the Global Logistics Cluster (GLC), solidifying the relationship and reinforcing a commitment to work together over the long-term.

The Foundation’s youth development programmes continued to deliver initiatives, helping stimulate the imagination of young students to help them stay engaged at school and prepare them to be constructive global citizens. The highly appreciated animated features of the Airbus Foundation Discovery Space – which cover various aerospace subjects in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) – were complemented with new topics such as the “Flightpath to Hydrogen” or the “experience” videos, while the Moon Camp Challenge is once again motivating students to envision the future of space exploration. 

Other developments initiated in 2021 included the setting up of an Advisory Council for the Environment that draws in additional support and advice, as well as challenges the Foundation to evolve. Also, an impact platform for employees is being developed for roll-out in 2022 to further the involvement of Airbus personnel in support of Foundation partners. Finally, the new Airbus Foundation Endowment Fund gives employees and people outside Airbus the opportunity to donate directly to the Foundation in support of its humanitarian response activities.

Nepal

A combined COVID-19 pandemic response mission during June used an A350 Airbus test aircraft to send seven tonnes of medical equipment from Toulouse, France to Kathmandu, Nepal. This outreach brought together the Airbus Foundation with Airbus India, the Indian Red Cross, and the CDCS.  The relief equipment – provided by the CDCS, the French Ministry of Health and Visière Solidaire – consisted of masks, protection glasses and respirators, as well as antigen tests.  The aid helped the Government of Nepal in managing the COVID-19 pandemic within the country.In parallel, Airbus India procured oxygen plants, ventilators, oxygen concentrators, breathing machines and mobile intensive care units to help address the second wave of COVID-19 in India.

Uganda

In February, an A330neo for Uganda Airlines carried UNICEF supplies to support and enhance the capacity of neonatal intensive care units in Uganda. In a mission involving the Airbus Foundation with the assistance of Aviation Sans Frontieres (ASF) and the World Food Programme Global Logistic Cluster (WFPGLC), approximately five tonnes of medical supplies were carried aboard this aircraft, the second A330neo that Airbus delivered to Uganda Airlines.

These supplies included stethoscopes, waterproof thermometers, reusable suction bulbs, resuscitators and neonatal sets, and they were delivered to UNICEF-supported districts where they will enhance neonatal intensive care at health facilities across the country.

Medical items and toys

Ivory Coast

Also in February, the first A320neo delivered by Airbus to Air Côte d’Ivoire was used to airlift toys and small medical items for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Ivory Coast: Crescendo, Enfant sans Sida, Main d’Afrique and the Seber Fondation.  

First A320neo delivered by Airbus to Air Côte d’Ivoire was used to airlift toys and small medical items for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Ivory Coast: Crescendo, Enfant sans Sida, Main d’Afrique and the Seber Fondation.  

Papua New Guinea

When Papua New Guinea was hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ Crisis and Support Centre (CDCS) requested assistance in collaboration with Australia and New Zealand – backed by coordination from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and with the support of our affiliates in the Airbus Australia Pacific offices.  The Airbus Foundation, Airbus Helicopters and Airbus Australia Pacific  worked together to support this humanitarian action to roll-out COVID-19 vaccines in Papua New Guinea. The initiative was launched to help transport medical crews and vaccines to the rural Highlands Region that represented a difficult operating environment. It was the use of a helicopter that made it possible to bring such medical care to remote populations. 

As part of the combined effort, the Airbus Foundation made a donation to contract Pacific Helicopters for approximately 30 hours of flight and crew time with their H145s. Meanwhile, Airbus Australia Pacific’s civil helicopter team helped with coordination efforts from Bankstown in Sydney, Australia for the support of Pacific Helicopters, the French Embassy in Papua New Guinea and the Airbus Foundation. The H145s facilitated the transport of medical teams for vaccination campaigns in hard-to-reach areas, and they enabled the vaccination of nearly 200 people out of the 800 identified in remote areas of the country while also raising awareness about vaccinations.

Chile

When Southern Chile was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chilean Red Cross (CRC) requested assistance at a time when quarantines were being re-established and the country was facing the arrival of winter.  The support enabled families of modest financial means to avoid using their limited savings in the face of the pandemic.

Support of the Airbus Foundation, Airbus Helicopters Chile, the Chilean Red Cross and the International Federation of the Red Cross enabled two airlift missions to be rapidly organised:

A flight with an AS350B3e from helicopter operator Servicios Aereos Kipreos S.A. brought handwashing sinks to Santa Maria, delivering material essential for prevention and control of the pandemic. The availability of these sinks benefitted several thousand people. Seven flight hours were provided.

An H145 from operator Servicios Aéreos Santa Maríaprovided the Chilean Red Cross with food, hygiene kits, and warm clothing for the country’s Los Ríos Region, offering aid for 148 families.

In quickly reacting after the earthquake, the Airbus Foundation, with the support of Airbus Helicopters Mexico, provided 60 helicopter flight hours, using an H125 from the Dominican Republic-based regional operator, Air Rotor Service A & P SRL. During more than two weeks, this H125 assisted the HRCS and the International Federation of the Red Cross in performing rapid aerial assessments in the impacted areas, as well as delivering humanitarian relief to HRCS branches by transporting experts, medical doctors and logistics experts, along with IT and telecom equipment, first aid kits, water and sanitation systems.

Due to the damaged road infrastructure, as well as security challenges, travel by land was not feasible for emergency response teams.

The Airbus Foundation’s support with these flights – sometimes performed multiple times per day – was essential for the relief team working with the HRCS to distribute humanitarian aid, and for the medical professionals’ rapid and safe arrival in the earthquake-affected areas.

During 2021, the Foundation responded to natural disasters and the COVID-19 crisis, supporting missions with its partners in Africa, Middle East, South America, the Caribbean and the Asia/Pacific region.

            Sophie Pignol, Disaster Response & Operations Coordinator

Satellites imagery

Main focus areas

​​Climate change mitigation and monitoring 
Supporting the impact assessment and evolution of climate change by monitoring the restoration of nature and biodiversity through means such as wildlife monitoring, forest monitoring and restoration

​​Climate change adaptation and disaster prevention
Supporting the assessment of areas prone to natural disasters, as well as the preparedness and capacity-building of vulnerable environments and societies, going hand-in-hand with the Foundation’s humanitarian activities

Minimising the environmental impact of humans
Improving and monitoring resource management (with examples such as wetland monitoring, crop management, water use and anti-poaching)

New partnerships

Connected Conservation Foundation

In 2021, the Airbus Foundation joined forces with the Connected Conservation Foundation in a new partnership that aims to help preserve wildlife and natural ecosystems through shared technologies and resources.

Under the agreement, Airbus’ high-resolution satellite imagery assists the Connected Conservation Foundation’s on-the-ground digital technologies to help recover populations of threatened species and stop habitat degradation. The experimental roadmap’s goal is to develop artificial intelligence-powered tools to help managers of protected areas improve wildlife monitoring, livestock management and overgrazing, as well as detect charcoal burning that leads to deforestation.
 

Supporting nature conservation is part of the Airbus Foundation’s environmental ambition. Using and   developing new technologies, this partnership will help draw a future roadmap that will leverage the ever-   growing portfolio of Airbus tools.

       Rachel Schroeder, Managing Director of the Airbus Foundation

Airbus Foundation | Madikwe crop

The addition of Airbus technology will expand the Connected Conservation Foundation’s work to thousands more square kilometers. Using insights from satellite technology, it is hoped that teams on the ground will be able to improve conservation management in vast areas, thereby curbing habitat loss and degradation, stopping poaching and preventing human-wildlife conflict. This technology holds great potential to support decision-making and to validate conservation strategies. 

The partnership’s first project is focused on novel approaches, using artificial intelligence in examining high-resolution imagery – pixel by pixel – to detect large animals in Madikwe, South Africa, and in the Northern Rangelands Trust conservancies in northern Kenya.

Discover more about CCF 

International Union for Conservation of Nature

An Airbus Foundation partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) will permit this international organisation to widely monitor ecosystem restoration activities and benefits more than 40 countries using a global framework called the “Restoration Barometer.”

The Airbus Foundation is providing satellite imagery, while Airbus Helicopters will make flight hours available via customers operating its rotorcraft, and UAVs.  Training and technical support on technologies provided by Airbus also will be made available where needed for the IUCN, as well as to support field teams on solution rollouts.

All the reporting and associated indicators will be digitised and centralized into a geospatial portal to be deployed in the future. It will report globally on the restoration benefits of carbon sequestration, biodiversity impacts and socio-economic benefits. The agreement between the Airbus Foundation and IUCN was signed in December 2021.

Since that date, hundreds of images have been recovered and are being integrated into a processing chain that will feed the “Restoration Barometer.” The methodology and the development of this chain are refined in parallel with forestry experts with the goal of finalising indicators of the Barometer by the end of 2022. Two geographical areas will be explored to validate methodology and an expansion will be done after 2022.

IUCN is the global leader on the measures needed to safeguard the natural world. Its mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.

Discover more about IUCN 

The Airbus Foundation Discovery Space already has a strong set of more than 40 animated features covering various aerospace STEM subjects for children between the ages of 8 and 12. Steps were taken in 2021 to complement this portfolio with new topics such as the “Flightpath to Hydrogen.” 

This miniseries of four animated features outlines the promise and challenges of applying hydrogen technology for more planet-friendly air travel, with a presentation that is simple and understandable for all audiences.

In the “Experience Video” series, made in collaboration with Traces (a not-for-profit association promoting the relevance of STEM), young students explore such key topics as composite materials, propulsion and airflow dynamics, with guidance through intuitive and hands-on activities. Several booklets have been created to support parents or teachers in the explanations of these topics. 

The “Ventis & Fiu” series is a set of six animations complemented by activity manuals for both teachers and students, made in collaboration with Spanish partner, Cadigenia. Teenagers can learn more about inspiring topics that include hydrogen, the environment, mathematics, along with female role models in aerospace.

To reach a third target audience - teenagers from 16 to 18 years old – the Airbus Foundation launched the creation of the Self-development Booklet. This booklet’s structure is based on a mix of tips and activities in 10 chapters, with aerospace as a common thread. 

The booklet aims to inspire this younger generation prior to reaching adulthood, and can be used as a support for the volunteers who mentor teenagers.

The latest Moon Camp Challenge – sponsored by the European Space Agency, the Airbus Foundation and Autodesk – was initiated in September 2021. Participating teams, supported by a teacher or educator,  use Autodesk’s 3D online modeling software to design a sustainable Moon camp settlement. It features preparatory classroom activities that focus on learning-by-design and science experimentation. The Moon Camp Challenge is divided in three separate categories featuring different levels of complexity: “Discovery” and “Explorers” use the Tinkercad design software, while “Pioneers” work with the higher-level Fusion 360 software. Participation is open worldwide, and the deadline for Moon Camp Challenge entry submissions was in April 2022. During the Challenge in 2020-2021, more than 4,100 students – supported by over 600 teachers – submitted 1,823 projects from 53 countries.

Discover more about the Moon Camp Challenge

The Foundation's youth development programs continue to carry out initiatives that stimulate the imagination of young students to stay involved in school and become global, and constructive citizens.

       Marie Claire Certiat, Youth Programme Manager

Leadership Training

Leadership training was provided to the IFRC through the Leadership University in 2021, while the Kenya Red Cross Society benefited from bespoke innovation and strategy training developed by the Air Business Academy.

As the result of restrictions imposed by COVID-19, the training portfolio evolved at Airbus’ Leadership University and in the Air Business Academy.  More virtual courses are available, and bespoke training is now being developed to respond to specific partner needs. 

Satellite imagery training also was provided for the Connected Conservation Foundation as part of the environment partnership developed in 2021.

Clean water

An innovative plasma water purification system, developed by inventor Alfredo Zolezzi at Plasma Waters by AIC technologies, has already delivered tangible results in Chile. The Airbus Foundation – in partnership with the Kenya Red Cross Society’s Innovation Lab, and administered under the International Centre of Humanitarian Affairs – supported the deployment of the system to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children in Kenya.

Three units have already been deployed in Mukuru, which is an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya, with another four units to be deployed in 2022. The units are housed on public school premises for children to access safe and pure drinking water, as well as to carry some water home for use outside of school hours. The implementation programme includes installation, extensive community outreach and impact measurement. Provision of safe and pure water supports the reduction of waterborne diseases that also lead to children missing school, affecting their education in the long run, as well as health conditions. These units have largely supported the community during the COVID-19 outbreak, as community members were given access to the water outlets during school closure periods. On average, each school has 1,000 students enrolled in classes.

For the Airbus Foundation, this initiative builds on its mission to support communities, particularly in the context of youth development. It also enables the Airbus Foundation to demonstrate its commitment to taking an active role in “Partnership for the Goals,” a global expression of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and a framework on which Airbus bases its sustainability contributions.