18/03/2022
This is going to be a very unusual post for us. It is a bit of a read, but on behalf of our whole team, we would like to ask you to read through it, because we need to ask for your help.
As you know, Air-Res Aviation is a general aviation company, offering a vast array of services, from maintenance to flight training. The company is a registered Flight Training Organization, offering complex flight training from Private Pilot License to Airline Transport Pilot License. Air-Res is also a certified maintenance center for Tecnam Aircraft and CubCrafters Europe. Air-Res also holds the rights to the Czech variant of the iconic Bu-131 and Bu-133, and is the only company in the world, which can not only build the original Bucker-Jungmann 131 and 133, but also built the same aircraft with modern range of engines like Lycoming O-320.
The scope of the company changed drastically on the 24th of February 2022.
Before the war, there were over 1,500,000 Ukrainians living and working in Poland alone. After the conflict started, in three weeks over 2,000,000 Ukrainian citizens crossed the Polish border, with over 1,000,000 alone staying in the country. The main reason for this is a natural friendship between our countries and the fact that Ukrainian language has many similarities with Polish. Many Ukrainians wish to return to their towns once the conflict is over, hence their primary choice of temporary stay is Poland. The biggest issue is that nobody really knows how long this war will last, therefore we, and many other people of Poland, are getting ready for long-term humanitarian aid support. Be under no illusion here – the government is only starting to offer aid schemes to people helping the refugees and all work done to date, whether here in Air-Res and all over Poland, was possible thanks to people of good will, who could not just sit and watch thousands upon thousands of women and children fleeing a brutal war.
CubCrafters Europe and Air-Res management made an immediate decision to transform the state of the art facility into a refugee center. On site hotel, which was used by students, was adapted to house Ukrainian families, was able to hold up to 16 people total in 4 separate rooms. With numbers of refugees rapidly increasing, we decided to transform the production and office parts of the company into a very basic living area as well. The company is well equipped with all facilities such as showers, toilets, and dining areas. We have also designed a special room for the kids, where they can spend some time away from the nightmare of leaving their livelihoods behind. Several of our young guests are joining specially prepared Polish schools to allow them to continue education.
We are continuously modernizing the facilities that we have and now we are housing 27 refugees, however with all the work being completed soon, we should be able to guest 30 people.
This is causing a few issues along the way. We are a self-funded organization, with our staff and our customers donating money that help us with everything we do. It is a small team of engineers and office staff who are working 24/7 to provide the best service possible to the refugees. The biggest cost of the operation is of course food and healthcare. We have several elderly guests and one lady in a very advanced pregnancy, who need constant medical supervision. Food supply and logistics are a challenge as the staff are using their own and company vehicles for regular shopping.
Any form of assistance would be very much appreciated but a financial donation would be the best aid, as the sole cost of transforming the company into a refugee center is the biggest factor. Another cost is healthcare and providing necessary aid for the elderly and the kids. We have prepared a special bank account for our Charity Foundation where any donations would be very much appreciated. We are a small company, made of a team, who believe that with just a little more extra effort, we can make a huge difference in the lives of people forced to escape brutal war in Ukraine.
Fundacja Razem Zdążymy (Together we will make it Foundation)
Please title all donations “For Ukraine”
EUR-IBAN PL84 1160 2202 0000 0005 2038 3049
Swift Code BIGBPLPW###
USD IBAN: PL70 1160 2202 0000 0005 2175 7306
Swift Code BIGBPLPW###
Bank Name: Millennium Bank Bank Address Piłsudskiego 32 35-074 Rzeszow, Poland Swift Code BIG/S.W.I.F.T.: BIGBPLPW###
