Qatar Airways and Orbis UK Renew Partnership to End Blindness

Qatar Airways has renewed its sponsorship as Official Airline Partner to Orbis UK for a further three years, extending its support to Orbis and its blindness prevention programmes since 2012.

Orbis is a leading global charity that brings people together to fight avoidable blindness through access to quality eye care. Together with its partners, Orbis trains, mentors, and inspires eye care professionals in places with the greatest need to save and restore vision in their communities.

The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is a unique aircraft that supports the charity’s global effort to transform lives.

The world’s only fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board an MD-10 aircraft is equipped with a state-of-the-art teaching facility complete with an operating room, classroom, and recovery room for patients.

Onboard, Orbis’ world-class medical volunteers and clinical staff share their knowledge and expertise with local eye care teams across the globe.

In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Orbis had to postpone its in-person Flying Eye Hospital programmes.

Whilst the Flying Eye Hospital is temporarily grounded, Orbis' mission is not. Orbis quickly pivoted to provide virtual Flying Eye Hospital programmes through their telemedicine platform Cybersight, to ensure that eye care professionals could continue to grow their skills.