HIGH-FLYERS TURN TO PRIVATE AVIATION SPECIALIST TO ESCAPE PATH OF HURRICANE IRMA

With most scheduled flights out of Miami now either full or cancelled, private jet expert, Air Charter Service, is in the process of helping to evacuate wealthy individuals trying to avoid Hurricane Irma, as the storm causes devastation across the Caribbean and heads towards the South East tip of the US.

Richard Thompson, President of ACS Americas, said: “Hurricane Irma is due to hit the tip of Florida for the first time in the early hours of Sunday morning and then make its way up the state over the following 48 hours. Our Miami, New York and Toronto offices have all been busy booking charters to evacuate people from regions facing the imminent threat of the high winds all week, from Caribbean islands, as well as Florida itself. The first ones this week were on Tuesday – two private jets carrying a total of 20 people from Charlotte Amalie in the British Virgin Islands and 25 people on one aircraft out of San Juan in Puerto Rico.

“Since then we have had a lot of bookings and, starting today [Thursday], we have private jets flying from Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Opa Locka, West Palm Beach, Venice and Vero Beach, all escaping to various safer havens. One of our clients is even flying with their two pet dogs on board.

The latest news now is that there are two more hurricanes in the Atlantic basin, Jose and Katia, meaning that it is the first time since 2010 that there have been three active hurricanes in the ocean at the same time. Fortunately they are expected to follow different paths to Irma and Harvey and not cause anywhere near as much damage.”

It has been a busy hurricane season for the company. Thompson says: “In the wake of Hurricane Harvey we have also been busy over the past few weeks chartering in aircraft to carry relief goods to the tens of thousands affected by that storm – even our Texas office had to be evacuated as they were trying to book charters for others to leave.”