The Airbus A400M is not just a military airlifter, according to Peter Scoffham, vice president of customer marketing for Airbus Military, speaking at the 2007 Military Airlift in London. It is also well-suited to the transport of humanitarian aid, which, he said, is one reason Malaysia has chosen the aircraft for its fleet.
The United Nations responded to more than 80 natural disasters in 2005-06, all of which required rapid response, Scoffham noted. Airlift is crucial during the first seven days of emergencies such as the aftermath of the Asian tsunami in 2004 and the Indonesian earthquake and Philippine typhoons in 2006. The most urgent need in those circumstances is for heavy engineering equipment to help rescue people from collapsed buildings, as well as boats and helicopters to perform search and rescue operations and to transport large volumes of medical equipment. Almost as important is the rapid delivery of electrical generators, water-purification equipment, sanitation plants and prefabricated shelters.
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