Airline Ambassadors International

Airline Ambassadors International (AAI) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, affiliated with the United Nations and recognized by the US Congress [1]. It was founded by Nancy Rivard in 1996 and has since donated 50 million dollars in aid to clinics, schools, orphanages and programs in 52 countries.

AAI was conceived by Rivard, an American Airlines flight attendant, after seeing first hand wasted excess cargo space on commercial flights. She sought ways to leverage that space for the transport of needed aid by successfully lobbying American Airlines and many other carriers. Additionally Rivard began to enlist colleagues in the airline industry to transport relief aid or to use their travel passes to escort children in need of medical attention to the US for treatment.

Airline Ambassadors International is the only independent relief and development non-profit in the United States that works directly with commercial airlines. Since 1996 AAI has provided aid to an estimated 500,000 people in underprivileged areas around the world aid, both in the form of disaster relief and ongoing support projects.[2] The organization's network of members numbers in the 10,000s, with most being airline personnel, although the organization includes people from every profession and background.

Members may participate in a variety of ways including joining an AAI sponsored "mission". AAI develops relationships with orphanages, hospitals, or entire communities and members may sign up to hand deliver aid and supplies.

With the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, AAI facilitated the transport of over 2 million pounds of medicines and food, and some 500 medical personnel. It also builds permanent housing for internally displaced people (IDPs) from the earthquake as well as providing safe houses for victims of human trafficking.[3]

In 2009, an Airline Ambassadors humanitarian team rescued an abandoned child in Cambodia and subsequently began learning about the growing issue of human trafficking. AAI decided that they needed to become involved. During a following mission trip to the Dominican Republic, Airline Ambassadors were motivated by the efforts made by Innocents at Risk to discuss the human trafficking issue. Due to the efforts made by AAI, they correctly identified trafficking incidents on two separate airlines that were leaving the Dominican Republic.Airline Ambassadors now provides human trafficking awareness seminars to members of the travel industry and sectors of airline and airport personnel.

Airline Ambassadors is located in Washington, DC. Its website is at www.airlineamb.org