Airline Crew Members Create Special Lounges For New York City Healthcare Workers
by Kaeli Conforti
In these uncertain times, we can be sure of two things: healthcare workers deserve better and furloughed airline employees and crew members want to help.
Originally created as a way to let National Health Service (NHS) workers in the U.K. who are fighting the good fight against Covid-19 unwind pre- or post-shift, the U.S. chapter of Project Wingman launched earlier this month with two locations at hospitals near New York City’s busiest airports, LaGuardia (LGA) and John F. Kennedy International (JFK). The idea is to give overworked doctors, nurses and other medical staff access to an area of the hospital where they can relax, enjoy some snacks and have a chat with someone outside their hospital bubble—a pilot, flight attendant or other airline personnel—who is volunteering their time there.
“Our lounges offer a much-needed oasis inside the hospital where overworked health care professionals can come to wind down for a little while, be taken care of with a beverage and snack, and get a human interaction besides their colleagues or patients,” said Anders Lindström, Founder and Chair of Project Wingman USA. “These frontline heroes haven’t had a chance to relax for months and many are self-quarantining themselves to protect their families, so this is one of the rare human interactions they have during their day. And our amazing volunteers, who miss their jobs, get to feel they make a change and take care of people who truly need it right now.”
More than 4,500 volunteers from airlines all over the U.K. are currently helping the original Project Wingman, while the new U.S. chapter’s volunteers hail from American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Norwegian Air, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines, Endeavor Air, Republic Airways and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
To get a better idea of where the idea for Project Wingman USA came from, its plans to expand and how airline crew and others wanting to help can get involved, I reached out to Lindström for more information about this exceptional program.
When did Project Wingman USA open its first U.S. hospital lounges?
We opened our first lounges at Flushing Hospital Medical Center and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center on May 6, which was about a month after the first-ever Project Wingman lounge opened at Whittington Hospital in North London. These two not-for-profit hospitals also have an aviation link, as Flushing Hospital Medical Center is one of the closest receiving hospitals for LaGuardia and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is the official hospital and trauma center for JFK, so it felt extra fitting these two were our launch hospitals. It’s also close to where a lot of NYC-based airline crew live, and they’re their local hospitals, so they get a chance to take care of the doctors and nurses who would otherwise take care of them.
What made you want to get involved with Project Wingman and why did you want to start the U.S. chapter?
I heard of the original Project Wingman from my counterpart in the U.K. as several people from Norwegian Air were involved. I really loved the concept, but was surprised it wasn’t replicated here in the U.S., so I reached out to Emma Henderson, who’s usually a captain with EasyJet but is the one who initiated the program, and asked if I could bring it here. We had lots of telephone and WhatsApp conversations so I could get all the info needed to launch.
How can people who aren't crew members get involved?
We welcome donations, either to our GoFundMe page, which allows us in turn to support small local businesses by buying products like cookies, specialty beverages or other goodies to put in our lounges. Or if you are a restaurant, bakery or any company that wants to donate suitable products, you can contact us through our website.
Can anyone volunteer their time or is that something only airline crew members can do?
It was originally designed for furloughed airline crew, but anyone who wants to volunteer is of course welcome to apply. We have already opened up to travel industry professionals and have a volunteer from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, as well as some travel agents wanting to volunteer, which is great.
Right now, there are lounges at two hospitals in New York City. Are there plans to open more of them around the country?
We are looking at expanding, both in New York City and across the country. As long as we have enough local volunteers in the area, donations to put in the lounge(s), and a suitable not-for-profit hospital, we’re ready to go.