Sept. 16, 2020

Air charter operator Wheels Up recently took delivery of a Beechcraft King Air 350i with a special livery supporting Feeding America and its efforts to combat growing levels of food insecurity across the U.S. throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

The orange paint matches the shade in the Feeding America logo, and ties into the “Meals Up” partnership formed earlier this year between Wheels Up and the hunger relief organization. Meals Up has raised and inspired the equivalent of more than 47 million meals for Feeding America over the past six months, according to the company.

The aircraft joins a fleet of distinctively-colored “Wheels Up Cares” aircraft supporting causes including the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (in a camouflage livery), the American Heart Association (red) and Breast Cancer Awareness and the Dubin Breast Center of the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai (pink).

“We kicked off the Meals Up initiative back in March with one purpose: to help feed people,” said Wheels Up Founder and CEO Kenny Dichter. “We knew then that the next Wheels Up Cares plane would be orange in support of fighting food insecurity and to raise awareness for Feeding America’s Hunger Action Month.”

As with the other Wheels Up Cares aircraft, Textron Aviation donated the design and paint for the latest special plane. The King Air manufacturer also donated funds to Meals Up that the company noted will provide more than 500,000 meals.

Learn more about Feeding America.