New ‘force for good’ aviation charity set up with help from industry

A new charity has been set up with help from the aviation industry to fund life-saving flights for isolated communities worldwide.

Aviation for Good will fund partner organisations to fly medical assistance, disaster relief and essential supplies and services via light aircraft to communities that cannot otherwise be easily reached.

The charity, which hosts the first meeting of its full board of trustees today (May 22, 2026), is set to announce two aviation partners ahead of the launch of its first fundraising campaigns.

Leaders across different industries, including aviation, defence and humanitarian aid, have helped to establish the grant-making organisation over the last 18 months. Input from the aviation sector has been "significant". 

More than 50 senior figures have contributed through stakeholder groups and feedback sessions to shape the charity’s mission, values and operating model and the full board brings together experience from across aviation, airports, aerospace, defence, sustainable aviation technology, humanitarian aid, finance, governance and military operations.

Trustees include Rachel Gardner-Poole OBE, chair of Aviation for Good and director, Aviascia; Dave Lees, chief executive of Bristol Airport; Kerissa Khan FRAeS, former president of the Royal Aeronautical Society; Cathy Hinton, an experienced aerospace and defence leader in QinetiQ; James McMicking, chief strategy officer at ZeroAvia; wing commander Al Mundy, RAF pilot; Anna Beck, a seasoned international non-profit leader; and Iain McDermott-Paine, a senior aviation leader and former director at NATS.

The charity is also supported by volunteers and advisers from across the aviation industry and beyond, including a senior first officer with easyJet as the operations manager, a senior IT director supporting the charity’s digital set-up, and a treasurer with previous global director-level experience and a management consultant as the secretariat. A number of aviation industry advisers have also been involved.

Charity chair Gardner-Poole, who is also chief sustainability and growth officer at aviation training provider EmPower Flight, said: “Today marks a very important milestone for Aviation for Good.

“This charity has been shaped by people across the aviation industry who believe that aviation can, and should, be a force for good.

“In many parts of the world, aviation is not just about convenience, it is a lifeline for millions of people. It can be the difference between having access to medical care or essential supplies and services that many of us take for granted – or being cut off from them.

“I am incredibly grateful to the trustees, volunteers, advisers and stakeholders who have helped bring Aviation for Good to this point. We now have a remarkable group of people around the table, with the experience, integrity and commitment needed to build the charity well.

“Our focus now is on working with trusted aviation partners so that we can launch our first campaigns, start fundraising, and support flights that make a real difference to people living in remote and isolated communities.”