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In August 2024, non-public aircraft constitution firm Omni Air International introduced a partnership with the NFL’s New England Patriots by way of a press launch, a long-term settlement by which Omni would function the crew’s two custom-decorated Boeing 767-300s for “team travel and other charter flights including humanitarian and goodwill flights on behalf of the Kraft family, and as available for Omni’s other charter customers.” One of the planes, with tail quantity N36NE, was singled out within the announcement as notably “attractive” to prospects attributable to its {custom} seating association, which incorporates 80 business-class seats.
Maybe that’s what set it aside for whoever was on board on Monday, when flight information present that the aircraft made a visit from Fort Worth, Texas, to Guantánamo Bay, and a return flight the identical day from Gitmo to Texas’s Fort Bliss.
The Pats use the planes for crew journey throughout the NFL’s season, and have been public about previous non-athletic makes use of of the aircraft, just like the 2020 journey to select up 1.5 million N95 masks from China amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and the 2021 use of one of many plane to ferry vaccinated healthcare staff to observe the crew play within the Super Bowl, a visit gifted each from gratitude and to boost consciousness of the significance of Covid vaccines.
There are solely so many causes to go to Guantánamo Bay, and recently, just about all of them should do with ICE and Donald Trump’s gung-ho deportation push. At a congressional listening to earlier this month, it was revealed that about 400 migrants have been held (non-simultaneously) on the U.S. Navy base over the previous two months, an endeavor that has price greater than $40 million in taxpayer funds.
Patriots spokesperson Anisha Chakrabarti, contacted by Vanity Fair, denied that the crew’s aircraft had been used for rendition flights transporting migrants.
“The New England Patriots plane was not used for any kind of deportation flight and there were no detainees on the plane,” Chakrabarti mentioned by way of e-mail. “Under our current charter manager, neither of the Patriots planes have ever been used for that purpose.”
When the crew isn’t utilizing the planes, the constitution firm, Omni, manages them.
“The New England Patriots organization is not involved in, nor does it approve, sanction, or coordinate the uses of the aircrafts when they are chartered for non-team purposes,” Chakrabarti’s statement continued. “The charter company uses the Patriots planes as part of their inventory when chartering to the Department of Defense to move military personnel as well as other government agencies with no financial gain to the organization.”
The Pats’ planes had been beforehand managed by constitution airline Eastern Airlines, a deal that resulted in a lawsuit alleging breach of contract by Eastern. It was below this contract {that a} 2022 University of Washington Center for Human Rights report revealed that Patriots-owned aircrafts had been used for at the very least three ICE rendition flights to Honduras.
Kathleen Bergin, an adjunct professor of regulation at Cornell University, wrote in Fortune in 2021 that migrants on ICE flights have reported being crushed and mistreated, a a lot completely different air journey expertise from the well-paid athletes who additionally use the planes.
“Athletes must accept that they are sitting in a seat perhaps last occupied by a migrant bloodied from abuse, or a parent taken from her child,” Bergin wrote. “Celebrities and corporate VIPs who’ve used their public image to promote human rights sacrifice their credibility the moment they board the plane.”
Deputy White House press secretary Anna Kelly instructed VF by way of e-mail, “While those assisting with President Trump’s mass deportation of migrant criminals are great patriots, there is no contract with the New England Patriots to facilitate deportations,” she mentioned.
Kym Dixon, a spokesperson for Omni mum or dad firm Air Transport Services Group, declined to elaborate on the character of the flight when contacted by VF. “Due to the potential nature of the missions, we do not confirm flight or contract information,” she mentioned by way of e-mail.
Omni counts the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security amongst two of its distinguished authorities purchasers as a part of the so-called “ICE Air” program, and has been named in complaints of abuse of migrant passengers. Omni’s mum or dad firm was lately acquired and brought non-public by Stonepeak in a $3.1 billion deal, however till April 11, 2025, none apart from Amazon owned practically 20% of the mum or dad firm.
The Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s company, didn’t reply to a request for remark.