When you think of the United Nations, you tend to think of peacekeeping and international diplomacy, but what you don’t think of, is their very own airline. The United Nations operates a complex network of routes in over 20 countries, but where did this airline come from, what do they do and how can you track it on Flightradar24?
The need for an airline
In the 1970s, the UN’s World Food Program (WFP) was struggling to deliver aid to the Sahel region of Africa due to inadequate ground infrastructure. Looking for alternatives, the WFP organized the airlift of food to these areas with 30 different aircraft from 12 different air forces. This required vast amounts of skill, not only in terms of logistical organization but also in terms of pilots having to fly into areas that were politically unstable and where aircraft were sometimes at risk of being shot down. The WFP continued to build on this success of its efforts and in 2003, the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) was created. The airline celebrates its 20th birthday this year, having successfully provided aid to some of the world’s most in-need nations.
United Nations’ Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS)
How to track UNHAS on Flightradar24
Unfortunately, you can’t fly with UNHAS unless you are a part of their mission. However, it is possible to track their flights on Flightradar24. UNHAS tends to not operate at night, so you can often spot them during daylight hours in the time zones of Central Africa. You can find their largest aircraft, the Airbus A320, operating flights to and from Yemen. The aircraft that you are most likely to spot are their DeHavilland Dash-8s and Embraer ERJ 145s. To view UNHAS flights on Flightradar24 use airline code UNO.
When looking for unique and rare flights on Flightradar24, these aircraft tend to fit the brief as the airline is unknown to many. So, the next time you are scrolling through the app with others and spot one of them, now you have a story to tell.
The UNHAS fleet
