Indonesia rescuers given quake mission air fare refund

Oct 11 2009 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

RESCUE workers from the North who had to pay for their own flights to earthquake-hit Indonesia have been refunded most of the costs by the airline, the Sunday Sun can reveal.

A team of 10 volunteers with International Rescue Corps spent five days in Padang – the earthquake’s epicentre – searching through rubble for survivors and helping the local government with humanitarian aid work.

Last week we told how the charity had to pay out £25,000 in flight tickets and baggage charges for their equipment after British Airways, who normally charge them just £1 per person, couldn’t fit them onto any flights.

But Malaysia Airlines have now waived more than half of the baggage costs, and made sure the team – which included Ray Gray, of North Yorkshire, Tony Conner, of Blyth, Northumberland, and John Wilkinson, of Penrith, Cumbria – had a comfortable return journey.

Press officer and volunteer rescuer Julie Ryan, of Malton, North Yorkshire, said: “They were all upgraded on the way back home, which was great.

“Malaysia Airlines waived the excess baggage charges for the return journey. Presumably they saw the coverage last weekend.

“I don’t know the exact amount that has been waived but we came to an amicable agreement and the team were really well looked after on their return flight home.”

The Indonesian earthquake, which measured 7.6 on the Richter scale, has killed 784, while 242 people are still missing.