Records Reveal Mayor’s Bermuda Flights

February 14, 2011

225px-Michael_R_BloombergPrivate aircraft belonging to billionaire New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg flew to Bermuda 16 times last year and 54 times in all from 2007 through 2010. On 41 trips, the aircraft left New York and spent all or part of the weekend in Bermuda — with one overnight trip to the island coinciding with the city’s December “Snowpocalypse”.

Mr. Bloomberg — who owns a property in Tucker’s Town – has consistently refused to confirm or deny if he was on the island when the blizzard paralysed New York over the Christmas holidays.

His stonewalling has generated an ongoing media and political firestorm, with the City Council now threatening to enact legislation requiring the Mayor to notify the public when he is travelling.

Now a review of Federal Aviation Authority flight records obtained by the “Wall Street Journal” shows a plane from the fleet owned by the Mayor’s financial media and software company company Bloomberg LP left for Bermuda on Christmas Day, returning to New York on Boxing Day after the intense blizzard blanketed the city with snow and snarled emergency services.

“Controversy over the mayor’s frequent travels re-emerged after the December 26-27 blizzard,” the financial and business newspaper reported yesterday [Feb.13]. “Faced with intense criticism from elected officials and New Yorkers, Mr. Bloomberg admitted the city’s sluggish response to the storm was unacceptable. While the mayor said he was in constant communication with city officials, some critics said his absence contributed to the problem.

“Flight records show that a Dassault Falcon 900 jet operated by Bloomberg Services left La Guardia Airport for Bermuda at 9:02 am on Christmas Day, then returned the next day at 2:49 pm, as the storm was growing fierce. The Bloomberg jet was the last private plane to land at La Guardia that day, according to the FAA records. The mayor appeared at a storm-related press conference shortly afterward.”

The Mayor’s absence at the onset of the blizzard is being blamed for the ensuing confusion over who had authority to declare a snow emergency in the city. Hundreds of buses and other vehicles were abandoned in the streets and blocked the way for emergency vehicles and snow plows. Because of this, a number of people died.

“No time should be wasted trying to figure out who is in power” in the event of an emergency,” said New York City Councilman Peter Vallone, one of the Mayor’s most outspoken critics and the legislator who proposed the bill that would require Mr. Bloomberg to let New Yorkers know whenever he leaves town. “What do you think — is it time to equip our globe-trotting Mayor with a GPS ankle monitor?”

In January the “New York Times” said Bermuda residents had confirmed a jet from the Bloomberg fleet had been at the L.F. Wade International Airport on Christmas Day but both the Mayor and his spokesmen refused to comment on the report.

The Mayor, who has not taken a full week’s holiday since assuming office in 2002, maintains he’s entitled to his privacy. Aside from his Bermuda house, Mr. Bloomberg also owns vacation properties in London and Colorado and enjoys playing golf at some of the leading courses around the world.

“The problem is the mayor would have no private life, couldn’t be with his kids when you have the press following you around all the time,” said Mr. Bloomberg, when asked last month why he keeps his whereabouts when he’s travelling secret. Mr. Bloomberg has said he’s in charge “all the time,” no matter where in the world he is.

The Mayor “works very long hours during the week and works off his cell phone and blackberry on the weekends,” his press secretary told the “Wall Street Journal”. “And we think that works well for the city.”

FAA records don’t include the names of passengers, so the “Wall Street Journal” could note conclusively determine if Mr. Bloomberg was on board any particular flight to Bermuda. The Mayor’s public schedule shows he couldn’t have been on six of the 54 flights to the island. The Mayor’s aides declined to comment on the Bermuda trips.

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Comments (6)

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  1. James says:

    So what!! What would he have done had he stayed in NY during this blizzard, go out and shovel snow?! That is why NY has a sanitation department who is responsible for storm clean up.

    You are doing great BERNEWS, please don’t get caught up in reporting a non-story because some idiots in NY want to know where their mayor is 24/7.

    If I’m not mistaken Mayor Bloomberg returns his normal salary each year and accepts a $1 token salary. So who cares where and how many trips he takes as long as his responsibilities are covered.

    Leave it alone, it is his personal business where he spends his weekends.

    • Triangle Drifter says:

      X2. What is it that he needs to be on the ground in NY for that cannot be handled by phone anywhere in the world.

      Now…if you really want to enact some legislation keeping track of people, especially public servants traveling on the publics dime, better do it here. I wonder how many times a certain ‘Somebody’ went to his golfcourse side ‘Tuckers Town’ in Marthas Vinyard or went to his villa in Turks & Caicos on the Bermuda taxpayers dime?

      Where do all those frequent flyer miles go?

    • itwasn't me says:

      agreed….what’s the difference between a 2 hour drive to Gracie Mansion versus 2 hours flytime to Bermuda……Try 60 degree difference?

      other politicians are angry at Mike because they’re jealous that he invested in Bermuda instead of the Frozen Hamptons….Mike can spend his weekends anywhere he likes. No-one complained when George DUBYA Bush spent long weekends on tha ranch!

  2. Nicki says:

    James that a lot of anger there. Bloomberg that you? lol

    Mayor Bloomberg sounds like a typical narcissist power trip egomaniac, speaking in third person? Really?

    • James says:

      No anger Nicki, just like fairness. The man is entitled to his weekends just like anyone else.