The European aerospace group EADS is donating € 500,000 to the victims of the catastrophic floods in Germany. The company is transferring the money to the German Red Cross, which will organise how it is put to use.

EADS CEO Tom Enders said: “The events of the past week have brought considerable devastation to parts of our country. However, they have also shown that the people here in Germany are willing to roll their sleeves up and help. The German Armed Forces, the police, the Federal Technical Disaster Relief Service, charities, fire brigades, local authorities and the many voluntary helpers have all been outstanding in performing protection, rescue and clean-up work. We would like to express our respect for this exemplary commitment, and through our donation we want to play a part in helping the people and regions affected by the disaster to get back on their feet again quickly.”

Enders also called on the company’s employees to make donations for the victims of the flood disaster. “The localities of most of the EADS plants have been spared,” said Enders, “but we can still all do our part.” Employees from the German Airbus sites have been active in the flooded areas since last week. Members of the Airbus HFB Flying Club took to the air with specially trained firefighters at the weekend, and on board a small four-seater aircraft they gathered situational information and took photographs to assist operational command on the ground. In Dresden, trainees and employees from the Elbe Flugzeugwerke helped with the building of dams. Enders thanked the dedicated colleagues for their commitment in the field.

About EADS

EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2012, the Group – comprising Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter – generated revenues of € 56.5 billion and employed a workforce of over 140,000.