Aviramp will once again partner with Delta Air Lines and Best Defense Foundation to help World War II veterans return to Normandy for commemorations marking the 82nd anniversary of the D-Day landings.
The Yorkshire-based aircraft boarding ramp manufacturer will support the 2026 Normandy Legacy Flight, which will see around 25 veterans travel from Atlanta to France aboard a special non-stop charter flight arriving in Deauville on 3 June.
A dedicated Aviramp team will travel to Deauville Airport to oversee the ground handling and step-free disembarkation of the veterans, many of whom will arrive by wheelchair for emotional commemorative ceremonies honouring those who fought during the liberation of Europe.
The partnership continues Aviramp’s growing involvement with the programme after the company donated a step-free International ramp to Deauville Airport last year, helping ensure veterans can leave the aircraft safely and with dignity.
Graham Corfield, who owns the business alongside his wife Lisa, said returning to Normandy for a second year carried enormous significance.
“What they did on those beaches 82 years ago shaped the future of Europe and the rest of the world.
“To be able to help the surviving veterans return to commemorate the landings, remember their colleagues and honour the fallen is the greatest privilege for this company.”
– Graham Corfield, CEO and Founder, Aviramp.
The Normandy Legacy Flight programme, now entering its fifth year, brings together American World War II veterans and younger generations to preserve first-hand accounts of the war while educating students about the sacrifices made during the conflict.
Virginie Durr said the arrival of the veterans in Normandy remained an emotional moment for everyone involved.
“Every time I see a veteran step off the aircraft, I’m reminded that we are carrying so much more than passengers — we are carrying history,” she said.
“Aviramp’s gift allows us to care for them during their first moments back in Normandy safely and with the dignity they deserve.”
Ed Bastian said the initiative reflected Delta’s long-standing commitment to service and remembrance.
“This mission embodies Delta’s values of service and connection and pays tribute to our history and the heroes whose sacrifices made global connection possible,” he said.
Meanwhile, Donnie Edwards described the journey as a deeply personal homecoming for the veterans involved.
“Returning to Normandy is never routine,” he said. “For our World War II veterans, it is a homecoming to the place where their courage changed the course of history.”
Best Defense Foundation provides trained caregivers for each veteran throughout the trip, including volunteers from Delta Air Lines who are paired one-to-one with veterans during the commemorative visit.
Aviramp has become a global leader in accessible aircraft boarding systems, with more than 950 ramps now operating worldwide. Its step-free boarding ramps and bridges are designed to provide safer and more dignified boarding solutions for wheelchair users and passengers with reduced mobility, particularly when aircraft are parked on remote stands.
For Aviramp, the Normandy Legacy Flight represents more than a commercial partnership. It is an opportunity to honour a generation whose sacrifices helped shape the modern world while ensuring their return to Normandy is met with the care, respect and dignity they deserve.
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