Today easyJet announced it raised almost £400,000 to help aid victims of the Tsunami disaster. The low cost airline launched a five week onboard collection campaign across it’s network starting on the 7th January and today the final amount was verified.The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) will receive £303,447.63 from donations made onboard aircraft operating from easyJet’s bases throughout the UK, Paris Orly, Dortmund and Berlin. At the low cost carrier’s Geneva base staff collected for the Swiss solidarity organisation (www.bonheur.ch ), raising a staggering £32,570 (CHF 71,000) from passengers travelling on the base’s five aircraft.Ê The company’s donation of £50,000 earlier this year brings the total monies raised for the Victims of the Tsunami Disaster to a phenomenal £386,017.63.

The vast scale of the Tsunami tragedy touched at a very individual level and many of easyJet’s passengers and staff were affected, some had relatives in the region at the time.ÊÊ Staff at easyJet wanted to support the international humanitarian effort so decided to launch collections on it’s flights in the hope of raising much needed funds for the DEC to aid the victims of the disaster.

easyJet has run similar charity campaigns in the past and in October 2003 raised almost £250,000 for Breast Cancer Awareness month.Ê The amount raised for the Tsunami appeal has exceeded all previous collections making it the most successful charity campaign in the airline’s 9 year history. easyJet cabin crew have regaled stories of generosity from all over Europe and one lady on a flight from Stansted to Alicante gave a cheque for an enormous £2,500!

Ray Webster easyJet CEO said: “All our staff at easyJet wanted to support the international humanitarian effort and we decided to launch collections on our flights in the hope of raising much needed funds for the DEC to aid the victims of the disaster.Ê

“Having run very successful charity campaigns in the past we felt that this was the best way that we could help, people usually have a few Euros left over from their trip, so what better way to get rid of your loose change”.

easyJet’s Tsunami appeal has been a success of enormous proportion and we have been overwhelmed by the kindness of our passengers.Ê easyJet would like to thank anyone who flew with us during the collections and gave so generously’Ê
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