Where communities are isolated because no adequate roads or lines of communication exist, or because these are lost through war, catastrophe, banditry or general breakdown of a country's infrastructure, MAF is often a community's only link with the outside world, providing people with access to the essentials of life.

MAF flights provide a lifeline for such communities when there is a medical emergency but also for the regular transport of health workers and medical supplies, teachers, pastors, Bible translators and students, and relief and development workers. MAF's services are also used for transporting produce from communities to market and bringing in trade goods to many places, like Papua New Guinea.

MAF operates 125 aircraft in 35 countries with around 1000 staff throughout Africa, South and Central America, Asia and the Pacific and using resources from MAF Canada, MAF USA, MAF South Africa, MAF Europe and MAF Australia/New Zealand. Every six minutes an MAF plane takes off somewhere in the world to serve isolated people.