Delta Donates Airlift Capacity for Operation Fly Formula

Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) will fly baby formula from the U.K. to Boston and Detroit this month free of charge on regularly scheduled passenger flights, mirroring the public service provided by United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL) to help the U.S. government alleviate an ongoing domestic shortage.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) arranged for Delta to carry the shipments from London’s Heathrow Airport (EGLL) to Logan Airport (KBOS) in Boston and Detroit Metro Airport (KDTW) between June 20 and 24, the White House announced Friday afternoon.

The 13 widebody flights donated by Delta will carry more than 212,000 pounds of Kendamil formula, enough to make 3.2 million 8-ounce bottles. 

The Kendamil Organic and Classic formula, made available through Operation Fly Formula, will be distributed and available for purchase at select U.S. retailers nationwide, as well as online. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is exercising enforcement discretion so that Kendamil can export at least 2 million cans of Kendamil infant formula—the equivalent of at least 54 million 8-ounce bottles to the U.S. 

The U.S. is waiving strict import rules as long as foreign brands have a strong record of inspection safety and the formula meets testing and other criteria.

The FDA on Friday also said it has cleared the way for Abbott Laboratories’ (NYSE: ABT) facility in Spain to ship three types of Similac brand formula to the U.S. The HHS is evaluating options for transporting about 686,530 cans of formula in June.

On Thursday, the first shipment of 3.7 million bottle equivalents of Kendamil infant formula landed at Washington Dulles International Airport (KIAD) in Virginia aboard a donated United Airlines flight. A FedEx (NYSE: FDX) cargo transport under contract with the Defense Department also brought a shipment of Nestle formula from Germany to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW).

Operation Fly Formula is an emergency airlift organized by the Biden administration to expedite delivery of overseas infant formula that meets U.S. safety standards. The program was originally set up to rely on Defense Department contract carriers, but Delta and United have volunteered their services directly to HHS.  

A total of four Operational Fly Formula flights have arrived so far, including another FedEx flight and one conducted by the U.S. Air Force.

The Biden administration’s whole-of-government approach toward increasing formula supplies—which ran down after a plant was temporarily closed because of contamination concerns—includes invoking the Defense Production Act to ensure suppliers prioritize certain ingredients for formula makers. Two manufacturers and a major distributor are now able to add legally binding language in their supplier contracts to get first-in-line access to ingredients.