Here’s a Katrina story I haven’t heard tied together anywhere: airline volunteers.

“None of the airlines involved required a contract or any written guarantee of payment before sending their planes and volunteer crews,” Simon wrote of the American Airlines flights. “One official said if Gore promised to pay, that was good enough for them.”
— Gore airlifts victims from New Orleans Former vice president chartered two private aircraft Saturday, September 10, 2005; Posted: 7:22 a.m. EDT (11:22 GMT) CNN.com
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — Al Gore helped airlift some 270 Katrina evacuees on two private charters from New Orleans, acting at the urging of a doctor who saved the life of the former vice president’s son.

Here’s another airline volunteer story:

Before Independence Air volunteered to fly the supplies to the hurricane zone, Braxton turned away volunteers willing to drive 22 hours to Baton Rouge. In addition, his church raised US$20,000 last Sunday alone to send to the national AME relief effort. Individuals have also stepped up. Kimberly Lowe of Philadelphia signed up on that city’s Web site to host an evacuee in a spare bedroom.
— US’ black community galvanized into action SHOCK TREATMENT: The suffering of poor African-Americans in Hurricane Katrina h as highlighted how racial inequality remains a major problem in the US AP , NEW YORK Taipei Times Saturday, Sep 10, 2005,Page 7

Two different airlines providing some level of volunteer effort for Hurricane Katrina relief. And neither of them seem to be advertising that they did it, either; I just happened to run across these two mentions in two stories about something else. Here’s another one found by some assiduous googling:

Midwest Airlines also said it is working with relief organizations to provide deeply discounted travel to their employees and volunteers involved in the disaster recovery efforts. Additionally, the airline has made aircraft available and is exploring opportunities to provide reduced-rate charter flights to fly relief workers and supplies to areas impacted by the hurricane.
much of it due to higher fuel prices because of Hurricane Katrina. Considering that the airlines are asking for $600 million in waived taxes from the U.S. federal government, such public assistance could help their case. However, if that’s their only motivation, why aren’t they advertising what they’re doing?

How much can security be diversified by calling on resources such as airlines not usually considered?

-jsq