Swedavia’s passengers and employees donate 1.7 million kronor to Swedish Red Cross

In 2022, passengers at Swedavia’s ten airports, together with the company’s staff and other employees at the airport, donated more than 1.7 million Swedish kronor for the Swedish Red Cross’s relief work. Swedavia’s fund-raising partnership to benefit the Red Cross’s work, which has been in place for many years, has contributed more than 20 million kronor to the organisation’s assistance activities over the past ten years. At a ceremony at Stockholm Arlanda Airport on Wednesday, Swedavia’s president and CEO, Jonas Abrahamsson, handed over a check with this year’s donation to the Swedish Red Cross.

“For Swedavia, it is natural and important to continue contributing to the Red Cross’s critical work to help people in need. In a time of anxiety and uncertainty in the world, with economic challenges, continued climate change, food shortages and war on our continent, it is even more important that we – together with passengers and employees at our ten airports – show that we can make a difference. On behalf of Swedavia, I would like to extend a big thank you to all those who made a donation this past year. The collective efforts at our airports to raise funds live on,” says Jonas Abrahamsson, Swedavia’s president and CEO.

Last year, more than 1.7 million kronor was raised for the Swedish Red Cross and its relief efforts via Swedavia’s airports, mostly through unclaimed items and cash donations. More than 100,000 passengers pass through Swedavia’s ten airports each day, and at many of the airports both employees and passengers have an opportunity to donate money easily in special collection boxes. People can make donations in both Swedish and foreign currencies, and all proceeds go directly to the Red Cross.

The Swedish Red Cross has long had a presence at Swedavia’s airports, and since 2012 Swedavia has had a structured collaboration with the Red Cross. Over the past ten years, more than 20 million kronor has been collected via Swedavia’s airports. The partnership includes the collection of donations from passengers and employees at the airports as well as items in the airports’ lost property service that have not been reclaimed within three months. These items are then sold in the Swedish Red Cross’s second-hand shops. Swedavia also makes space at the airports available to the Swedish Red Cross and provides communication opportunities for the charity’s campaign activities at the airports. There is also the possibility for the Red Cross to assist the airports with crisis training and emergency response workers.

“We would like to give a big thank you to Swedavia’s employees and all our passengers for this important donation. This aid will enable the Red Cross to strengthen Swedish preparedness, in part through engaged volunteers and local community groups throughout the country. We will also continue to mobilise in order to best meet the growing humanitarian needs we see across the world,” says Patrik Nygren-Bonnier, Head of Communication and Fundraising at the Swedish Red Cross.

For 2022, the Swedish Red Cross’s aid relief was focused primarily on the war in Ukraine, where it has provided emergency personnel in water and sanitation, among other areas, and concentrated on building up its presence in the country together with the Ukrainian Red Cross. Back in Sweden, Ukrainian refugees have received assistance through the Red Cross’s humanitarian service points with food, a chance to rest, hygiene products, clothes and a roof over their head. In Asia and Africa, relief aid has mainly targeted food shortages, hunger and difficulties related to climate change. The Swedish Red Cross has also worked to help refugees in Europe and Central America.

For further information, please contact Swedavia’s press office at tel. +46 (0)10-109 01 00 or press@swedavia.se.

For questions concerning the Swedish Red Cross, please contact the Swedish Red Cross’s press office at +46 (0)8-452 48 20 or press@redcross.se.