World Airways Departs California for Vietnam on Special Flight as Part of 'Operation Babylift - Homeward Bound'

OAKLAND, Calif., June 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A World Airways plane today departed Oakland International Airport bound for Vietnam as part of a historic trip commemorating the 30-year anniversary of "Operation Babylift." World Airways, a wholly owned subsidiary of World Air Holdings, Inc. , is returning 21 Vietnamese adoptees to Ho Chi Minh City for a special two-day visit where they will tour the city and will be honored at a special banquet in the Unification Palace.

Thirty years ago, World Airways airlifted 57 orphans from Saigon and brought them to the United States to be adopted by American families. World Airways contacted 21 of those children, now adults, and invited them for this special trip aboard one of World's modern MD-11 wide-body passenger aircraft, specially painted with the company's former red and white design and logo from 1975. Several of the invited adoptees were on that historic World Airways flight on April 2, 1975.

That flight to California led to an even larger Operation Babylift effort by the U.S. government throughout the month of April 1975, rescuing more than 3,000 children.

"The city of Oakland is a very special place for World Airways and the adoptees," said Randy Martinez, chief executive officer of World Air Holdings, Inc. "Oakland was the first taste of America they experienced when they landed 30 years ago and it's an honor to return to this city to serve as the departure point for our commemorative flight to Ho Chi Minh City."

Joining the adoptees and Martinez on the trip are several invited guests, several of whom participated in the original babylift. World Airways pilots Ken Healy and Bill Keating, who flew the original flight out of Saigon under dangerous conditions, and other members of the original crew and several ground support employees are taking part in the special trip. They will be joined by Ross Meador, who placed the 57 children on the 1975 flight from an orphanage he managed for Friends of the Children of Vietnam (FCVN).

In Ho Chi Minh City, the adoptees and invited guests will participate in an arrival ceremony at the airport, tours of the city (including the Phu My orphanage) and a gala dinner at the Unification Palace. The group will return to San Francisco on June 17.

About World Airways

World Airways, a wholly owned subsidiary of World Air Holdings, Inc. , is a U.S.-certificated air carrier providing customized transportation services for major international cargo and passenger carriers, the United States military, and international leisure tour operators. Founded in 1948, World operates a fleet of 17 wide-body aircraft to meet the specialized needs of its customers. For information, visit http://www.worldairways.com/.