At 19.00 hrs. on 26th July, 25 Japanese children aged between 12 and 16 landed with Air Edelweiss at Zurich Airport. The children, all of whom came from the Tohoku region and would spend a whole week exploring the central Swiss mountains as well as Berne and Zurich. With the action, the two Swiss airlines in the Lufthansa Group aim to provide the children with an opportunity to enjoy some diversion and to form friendships for life in the Swiss mountains. They were looked after by about 20 voluntary helpers, who also provided diversion with game afternoons.
"Wings for Japan" was launched in 2011, following the publication of the book "Tsunami" by the Japanese journalist Ken Mori, by active and former SWISS employees. In the book, around 80 children aged from 5 to 17 report on their experiences and fates with the Tsunami in the form of stories and pictures. "Wings for Japan" set itself the objective of taking all 80 children, little by little, on a visit to Switzerland to offer them some positive diversion in what for them is still a difficult everyday life, and bring some happiness to their lives through meetings with Swiss children of the same age. SWISS and Edelweiss Air have been supporting the project since its foundation with flights between Japan and Switzerland.
The help from SWISS and Edelweiss Air are commitments made by the employees, like those that have existed for years in other companies within the Lufthansa Group, for example, the HelpAlliance of Lufthansa or Cargo Human Care of the Lufthansa Cargo. SWISS is also a long-standing partner of SOS Kinderdorf, while Edelweiss Air has supported the children's relief organization Camaquito in Cuba for many years.
