Airline crew from across the aviation industry have joined forces to form Project Wingman in support of NHS staff during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Project Wingman was launched on 3 April in the UK at the Whittington Hospital in North London and has reached North Middlesex, Basildon, Southend and Mid-Essex with the potential of additional areas. It is currently in the process of offering similar services to hospital staff in the US, New Zealand, Australia and Japan.
The project creates the atmosphere of a small airline lounge for doctors, nurses and Allied Health Professionals, offering refreshments, an environment to relax and catch up with colleagues.
Over 1,200 volunteers from different UK airlines including Norwegian, easyJet, British Airways, Flybe and Loganair, are on hand to help the NHS during and after their shifts. The volunteers support staff in various practical ways in the hope that they can work more effectively, applying their skills in problem solving and techniques that they learnt in training.
“We want to look after the wellbeing of all of all frontline NHS staff,” said Proesser Rob Bor, Consultant Clinical Psychologist. “We immediately thought of the airline staff and reached out to them to support us.” Numerous airlines have been grounded and their crew furloughed due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic so Bor reached out to Captain Dave Fielding of British Airways and Captain Emma Henderson of easyJet, requesting a “call to arms” across aircrew.
Billal Draifi, Norwegian Long Haul Cabin Crew is in charge of the training and induction of new crew volunteers for Project Wingman. He states that with the pressure that NHS staff endure, “we are doing everything that we can to support and help them throughout this unprecedented situation.”
