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FedEx and Orbis International are highlighting their long-standing partnership ahead of World Sight Day on October 9. The two organizations marked the occasion with a goodwill visit by the Flying Eye Hospital in Dubai from September 30 to October 3, where FedEx employees and guests toured the aircraft. The event emphasized both organizations’ commitment to expanding access to eye care globally and recognized Dubai’s role as a center for humanitarian collaboration.
Bruce Johnson, director of aircraft operations and maintenance at Orbis International, commented on the relationship: “We frequently bring the Flying Eye Hospital to Dubai between projects in Asia and Africa. For more than 18 years, FedEx teams at Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central have played a vital role in supporting our aircraft—from logistics to maintenance—whenever we’re in the region. Every time we arrive, we’re welcomed like family. Their hospitality, dedication, and willingness to go the extra mile make our work smoother, more impactful, and ensure we’re ready to deliver sight-saving care wherever it’s needed next.”
Worldwide, about 1.1 billion people experience vision loss; most live in low- and middle-income countries (https://www.orbis.org/en/about-us/annual-report-2024). The Flying Eye Hospital was established to address this issue. It operates as an accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital inside a FedEx-donated MD-10 aircraft equipped with an operating room, classroom, and recovery space. Since its inaugural flight in 1982, it has visited over 80 countries offering training for local medical professionals along with surgeries targeting preventable blindness.
