In August 2024, non-public airplane constitution firm Omni Air Worldwide announced a partnership with the NFL’s New England Patriots through a press launch, a long-term settlement by which Omni would function the workforce’s two custom-decorated Boeing 767-300s for “workforce journey and different constitution flights together with humanitarian and goodwill flights on behalf of the Kraft household, and as accessible for Omni’s different constitution clients.” One of the planes, with tail number N36NE, was singled out within the announcement as notably “engaging” to clients on account of its {custom} seating association, which incorporates 80 business-class seats.
Perhaps that’s what set it aside for whoever was on board on Monday, when flight records show that the airplane made a visit from Fort Value, Texas, to Guantánamo Bay, and a return flight the identical day from Gitmo to Texas’s Fort Bliss.
The Pats use the planes for workforce journey in the course of the NFL’s season, and have been public about previous non-athletic makes use of of the airplane, just like the 2020 trip to pick 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 workers to observe the workforce play within the Tremendous Bowl, a visit gifted each from gratitude and to lift consciousness of the significance of Covid vaccines.
There are solely so many causes to go to Guantánamo Bay, and these days, just about all of them must 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 Self-importance Honest, denied that the workforce’s airplane had been used for rendition flights transporting migrants.
“The New England Patriots airplane was not used for any sort of deportation flight and there have been no detainees on the airplane,” Chakrabarti stated through e-mail. “Below our present constitution supervisor, neither of the Patriots planes have ever been used for that objective.”
When the workforce isn’t utilizing the planes, the constitution firm, Omni, manages them.
“The New England Patriots group will not be concerned in, nor does it approve, sanction, or coordinate the makes use of of the aircrafts when they’re chartered for non-team functions,” Chakrabarti’s assertion continued. “The constitution firm makes use of the Patriots planes as a part of their stock when chartering to the Division of Protection to maneuver army personnel in addition to different authorities businesses with no monetary acquire to the group.”
The Pats’ planes had been beforehand managed by constitution airline Japanese Airways, a deal that resulted in a lawsuit alleging breach of contract by Japanese. 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 least three ICE rendition flights to Honduras.
Kathleen Bergin, an adjunct professor of regulation at Cornell College, wrote in Fortune in 2021 that migrants on ICE flights have reported being overwhelmed and mistreated, a a lot totally different air journey expertise from the well-paid athletes who additionally use the planes.
“Athletes should settle for that they’re sitting in a seat maybe final occupied by a migrant bloodied from abuse, or a mum or dad taken from her youngster,” Bergin wrote. “Celebrities and company VIPs who’ve used their public picture to advertise human rights sacrifice their credibility the second they board the airplane.”
Deputy White Home press secretary Anna Kelly informed VF through e-mail, “Whereas these aiding with President Trump’s mass deportation of migrant criminals are nice patriots, there is no such thing as a contract with the New England Patriots to facilitate deportations,” she stated.
Kym Dixon, a spokesperson for Omni mum or dad firm Air Transport Providers Group, declined to elaborate on the character of the flight when contacted by VF. “Because of the potential nature of the missions, we don’t verify flight or contract info,” she stated through e-mail.
Omni counts the Division of Protection and the Division of Homeland Safety amongst two of its distinguished authorities purchasers as 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 not too long ago acquired and brought non-public by Stonepeak in a $3.1 billion deal, however till April 11, 2025, none aside from Amazon owned nearly 20% of the parent company.
The Division of Homeland Safety, ICE’s company, didn’t reply to a request for remark.
