Three major charter operators mobilised emergency relief operations to support 600,000 affected residents across Jamaica's hurricane-damaged infrastructure
Air charter companies, Air Charter Service, Air Partner Cargo and Chapman Freeborn have coordinated emergency aid flights to support communities in Jamaica devastated by Hurricane Melissa.
Hurricane Melissa formed in mid-October near West Africa, grew rapidly over the Caribbean, and followed an erratic path through Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas before dissipating near Iceland in early November.
Jamaica bore the brunt of the destruction – entire communities were devastated, with widespread flooding, building collapses, and infrastructure failures. Overall, some 600,000 people in Jamaica were affected and relief operations are expected to last several months.
Air Charter Service (ACS) arranged post-hurricane charters carrying more than 200 tons of aid.
Due to prior weather warnings, the company had been in touch with NGOs and governments in preparation for potential relief flights before the disaster.
So far, ACS has provided multiple charter flights and supported evacuation efforts using passenger aircraft.
Ben Dinsdale, ACS director for government and humanitarian services, commented: “The air charter industry is always the first port of call when such disasters occur, and this was no different, with plans put in place before and directly after.
“We arranged the first non-military aid flight in last week, which was a Boeing B737-400F from Antigua into Montego Bay with 16 tons of shelter kits and blankets.
“Since then, we have booked charters through our London, Florida, California and Spanish offices, with several flights transporting more than 200 tons of aid in total throughout this week.
“Three of the island’s five airports are small, and not suitable for aircraft any larger than a private jet or turboprop, so we are utilising Kingston’s Norman Manley International and Montego Bay’s Sangster International, despite the latter sustaining some damage.
“We have also been involved in evacuations from the island on passenger aircraft, flying people to safety, and in some cases home, this past week. Once again we're proud to work alongside our colleagues in the air charter industry, who always step up to the challenge during these times of need."
Air Partner joins relief efforts
Air Partner Cargo also managed an emergency relief flight from Panama to Kingston, Jamaica. The flight carried 49 tons of essential supplies to support the recovery efforts and was operated using an Atlas Air Boeing 767 freighter, said Air Partner.
The cargo included tarpaulins for temporary roofing and shelter, construction equipment to help build temporary structures and restore critical facilities, as well as other emergency materials.
Eliska Hill, executive vice president of cargo at Air Partner, said: “Air Partner’s ability to mobilise resources quickly and coordinate with trusted operators like Atlas Air demonstrates the vital role of logistics partnerships in disaster relief."
Chapman Freeborn steps up
Chapman Freeborn further mobilised emergency charters to support aid efforts. Pre-planning efforts included advance coordination with regional operators, liaising with Chapman Freeborn’s 24/7 operations team in the UK for the latest Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), storm trajectory updates and risk notices, as well as deploying project management personnel to Miami for real-time charter coordination.
“Before Melissa’s landfall, we had received requests from multiple customers in the public, government, commercial, NGO and defense sectors,” said Cam Bolton-Wilson, vice president of government & humanitarian – Americas at Chapman Freeborn.
“We informed our clients about everything from airport status updates and aircraft availability to permit processes and potential schedules so we could respond as quickly as possible to any situation on the ground.”
One of the organisations that reached out was World Central Kitchen, which provides meals to communities impacted by natural disasters. Chapman Freeborn transported the NGO’s response team from Miami to Kingston via an ERJ-145 regional jet.
The company also mobilised an S-61 heavy-lift helicopter from Michigan, USA to Grand Cayman, before positioning it to Jamaica to support World Central Kitchen operations at the heart of the affected area.
Chapman Freeborn also transported a second rapid-response element from an undisclosed US-based disaster response NGO to Jamaica via Gulfstream G-IV, and had Airbus A-320s, CASA C-212, Antonov AN-12 and a wide array of regionally positioned turboprop and rotary wing aircraft available to support evolving mission profiles.
While many aircraft sourced by Chapman Freeborn were ultimately not required due to rapidly shifting needs, the company said it provided critical initial deployment solutions to first-wave responders, and persistent support for relief efforts in Jamaica through the contracted S-61 heavy lift helicopter.
The aircraft arrived within hours of the hurricane making landfall, and delivered versatile, high-impact airlift capabilities to World Central Kitchen and the people of Jamaica through 9 November, before returning to home base in the US.
