Video: Private Jets Bring Students Back Home
[Updated with video] The island’s corporate community are coming together to help bring students currently stranded in the U.S. back home, with local businesses set to charter two special flights from Atlanta today to enable a number of students and family members to return home.
A BDA spokesperson said, “The corporate community and the Bermuda Business Development Agency [BDA] are coming together in response to the country’s goal to bring Bermudian and Bermuda resident students currently stranded in the U.S. home during the Covid-19 crisis.
“Butterfield, Skyport, Zurich Bermuda, Freisenbruch Insurance Group and SOL Petroleum Bermuda will charter two special flights from Atlanta today to enable a number of students, whose universities and colleges have shut down, and family members to return home.
“NetJets, HM Customs and the Department of Immigration have mobilised resources to operate the flight, land the plane and process the deplaning passengers.”
Roland Andy Burrows, CEO of the BDA, said, “These are uncertain and unsettling times for people around the world. Our students in the U.S. who haven’t been able to find a way home as their schools closed and airlines suspended international flights, faced even greater uncertainty, as did their families.
“Working together we are pleased that we have been able to find a solution to get our students home to their loved ones during this time. We thank all of those involved for their help. One of Bermuda’s many great strengths is the resilience of her people and our ability to pull together as a community in times of difficulty.”
“The charter flights are expected to land at L.F. Wade International Airport this evening. Deplaning passengers will be required to self-isolate and monitor their health status for 14 days per Government policy.”
Update 9.01pm: The Premier said, “A number of local and international businesses have joined an effort coordinated by the Bermuda Business Development Agency to charter flights from Atlanta today to enable a number of resident who were not able to travel on the Delta flight which was cancelled earlier this week, to be able to return home.
“Of course we recognize that flight was cancelled due to New York air traffic control closing and the fact is, and this is significant because we have changed our approach. Persons who are on board that flight will be required to self-quarantine and many of them will be housed in a quarantine facility which have been offered by the Government of Bermuda.”
Update 9.30pm: What we assume, but do not have officially confirmed at this time, to be these two jets touched down earlier this evening, we saw one come in followed by another – video added below. The statement above mentions NetJets and says the two flights were coming from Atlanta and would land this evening, and according to online flight trackers, these two flights were operated by NetJets and came from the Atlanta area. They were the smaller private jets, not large commercial planes.
As the island and world deals with the Covid-19 pandemic, we are doing our best to provide timely and accurate information, and you can find more information on the links below.
- Our continuously updated live blog here
- All our coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic here
- The official Bermuda Government website here
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- Our newly launched Covid-19 website here.
Officials are urging everyone to please follow all guidance like washing your hands, adhering to self quarantine if relevant, and practicing social distancing, and they have asked that if it is not urgent, a necessity or work, to please stay home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Make sure they have been tested out before bringing them back home!
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THEY ARE PROVISIONS IN PLACE TO BRING BACK OUR BERMUDIAN KIDS FROM THE UK?!?!?!
Hello, this a group message from us on the plane currently:
The students and families on these flights would like to thank the Bermuda Government, Dept. of Transport, the businesses and all that assisted us in returning home during this pandemic. We are a group of 14 split between two flights, and shall be landing around 6PM Bermuda Time. All is well currently otherwise.
The Covid-19 pandemic has created havoc globally, especially in the aviation industry, with border and other travel restrictions. Congratulations to the residents who made it home from Canada on WestJet and from the US today on private aircraft courtesy of the IB Sector, the Government and others. Repatriating residents is not any easy undertaking in this environment, so those of you in the UK, hang in there as your chance may come soon.
@Paul…”May” come?!?! We want our kids home, just like the kids from Canada & the USA.
We cannot help but feel like our kids in the UK are being left behind purposely…especially by our so called “Government for the People”!!
You mean why NOT Nikki? Are there provisions in place for Bermudian students to return from the UK?
Yes, WHY NOT!!
My apologies
My daughter is out there, had to move out of her accommodations, has to prepare for exams ( her graduating year), while stressing if she’ll ever get home.
Yes she means “why not”. There currently aren’t any provisions to bring back Bermudians from the UK.
@ Yes…thank you for your common sense!
Hey! Really grateful for all the awesome work BDA government is doing to get residents home. I am a Bermudian student currently studying in the US and notified (as instructed) the government email of my current situation and didn’t hear back. I was unaware of this flight. Wondering if there was another I could have done/can do in the future in the case that there will be any more flights? I am safe in the U.S at the moment, but would like to be home if possible.
That’s Awesome and good news to know that they are home safe. Just ignore the stupidity of other’s that feel otherwise.
Wow!
Any Bermudian trapped overseas whose not an Atlanta area student is “stupid” and should be ignored…
Thanks for making us feel just a little bit worse today and unwelcome home..
Hello, the following message was posted earlier from the passengers on last evening’s flight: They are very thankful to be home.
The students and families on these flights would like to thank the Bermuda Government, Dept. of Transport, the businesses and all that assisted us in returning home during this pandemic. We are a group of 14 split between two flights, and shall be landing around 6PM Bermuda Time. All is well currently otherwise.
was that an air ambulance in the foreground?
All these people and anyone else entering Bermuda should have to go straight into a 14 day quarantine location at the airport and after 14 days be tested before being released from the holding area. Why didn’t these people come home two weeks ago when there were discussions about closing the airport? Were they on vacation? CLOSED should mean CLOSED!!!
No one should be allowed to go straight “home”. Lock them down at the airport for 14 days!
No one from the US or the UK should be arriving in Bermuda without a mandatory 14 day quarantine at the airport facilities – private jet or NOT!
@Kathy
You really don’t think we tried to get our kids home before they closed the airport! After our 4th time changing the travel date, the “ Government” decided to close the airport, giving parents ONLY 2 days to get their kids home.
As a parent I totally agree that all should be quarantined at a disclosed location when they arrive on Island & tester thereafter!
Kathy : They did not get to go home… why dont you ask questions they were loaded onto a bus they dont even get to see their family for 2 weeks take a chill
THANK YOU @bda!!!