Assisting in delicate and emotional air shipment
After being removed from burial grounds in Colorado in the 1890's, eventually ending up in the National Museum of Finland, the remains of Native American inhabitants have been returned to Mesa Verde NP.
Part of a global effort to bring artefacts back to indigenous people, this move took close coordination between American Airlines, administrations and a coalition of tribes to complete the journey from London to Durango, CO.
The transport of 20 Hopi remains and 28 funerary objects estimated to date back to the 13th century took years to plan.
The carrier's honour team worked with federal officials and colleagues across the airline, including cargo and customer operations, to assist delegates from the US Embassy and representatives from the Finnish government escorting the remains from Helsinki. (ah)