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easyJet, Europe’s leading airline, has announced that it’s launching an emergency on board collection to support Unicef’s work for refugee and migrant children affected by the emergency in Syria and neighbouring regions.

The collection, which launched this week, will help raise vital money to keep children safe from danger and demonstrates easyJet’s commitment to the partnership. 

There are now more than 2 million Syrian children who have been forced to abandon their homes and seek refuge in other countries. Passengers on easyJet flights can donate on board, in any currency, to help Unicef provide life-saving supplies such as clean water and medicine for children in Syria and the surrounding region. easyJet has donated £10,000 to start the collection.

easyJet and Unicef have also renewed their Change for Good™ partnership which sees the airline raise money through its fundraising initiatives. The renewal ensures that Unicef will become easyJet’s official partner for another three years until June 2018. The overall focus of the partnership will continue to be the global eradication of polio, as well as supporting when an emergency strikes, like the current crisis. 

Since the partnership began in July 2012, the airline has raised over £5 million, helping Unicef provide vaccines to keep children safe from deadly diseases such as polio, and provide life-saving aid in emergencies.

Over the last three years the partnership has helped keep over two million children safe from polio, which less than 30 years ago was endemic in 125 countries, now it’s endemic in just three. There is still more to do; globally more than 100 million children under five years old are under-immunized and at risk from polio but eradicating it entirely within this generation remains a real possibility and a key goal for Unicef and easyJet. 

Carolyn McCall, Chief Executive Officer, easyJet, said:

"The plight of Syrian refugees has affected all of us and in response to requests from our crew we are running a special on board collection to support Unicef's efforts to care for the children affected by this crisis. We hope our support and the generosity of our passengers will make a difference.

“We are also proud to announce the renewal of our partnership with Unicef.

‎"Over the past three years our passengers and our people have raised over £5m to support Unicef in making a real difference to the lives of millions of children around the world.

“We would like to thank our 68 million passengers and staff who travel with us each year who have given so generously to our Change for Good™ partnership. We are looking forward to furthering our achievements with Unicef over the next three years with a particular focus on the global fight to eradicate polio.”

David Bull, Executive Director of Unicef UK, said: 

“We’re extremely grateful to the support that easyJet continues to provide to Unicef both through our on-going partnership, which raises funds for polio and in emergency situations. This support is vital for helping children like those currently affected by the humanitarian emergency in Syria. 

“Our partnership with easyJet has already achieved so much in the past three years, helping us to purchase 5.3 million vaccines for children and keep 2 million children safe from polio as well as provide support for emergencies in Nepal and the Syria region. 

“We’re very proud to be renewing our contract for another three years with easyJet and continue to make a real difference to the lives of children.”

For more information about the partnership, please visit: 

www.unicef.org.uk/UNICEFs-Work/Our-supporters/Organisations/Corporate-partners/easyJet or www.easyjet.co.uk/unicef  

For more information about easyJet, please contact the easyJet Press Office on 01582 525252 orpress.office@easyjet.com  

For more information about Unicef, please contact Becky Cheers bcheers@Unicef.org.uk or call 020 7375 6224 

About Unicef

Unicef is the world’s leading organisation for children, promoting the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

Unicef UK raises funds to protect children in danger, transform their lives and build a safer world for tomorrow’s children.  As a registered charity we raise funds through donations from individuals, organisations and companies and we lobby and campaign to keep children safe. Unicef UK also runs programmes in schools, hospitals and with local authorities in the UK. For more information please visit unicef.org.uk

About easyJet

easyJet is Europe’s leading airline offering a unique and winning combination of the best route network connecting Europe's primary airports, with great value fares and friendly service.

easyJet flies on more of Europe’s most popular routes than any other airline. easyJet carries over 68 million passengers annually, of which more than 12 million are travelling on business. easyJet flies over 220 aircraft on more than 750 routes to over 130 airports across 31 countries. More than 300 million Europeans live within one hour's drive of an easyJet airport.

easyJet aims to be a good corporate citizen, employing people on local contracts in seven countries across Europe in full compliance with national laws and recognising their trade unions.  The airline supports a number of local charities and also has a corporate partnership with Unicef which has raised over £4m for the most vulnerable children since it was established in 2012.

The airline takes sustainability seriously. easyJet invests in the latest technology, operates efficiently and fills most of its seats which means that an easyJet passenger's carbon footprint is 22% less than a passenger on a traditional airline, flying the same aircraft on the same route.

Innovation is in easyJet’s DNA – from our launch almost 20 years ago when we changed the way people fly to the present day where we lead the industry in digital, web, engineering and operational innovations to make travel more easy and affordable for our passengers.