EMERGENCY RESPONSE CASE STUDY
THE CHALLENGE:
After months of warning from scientists, the La Soufrière volcano on St. Vincent erupted in mid-April 2021 after a 42-year hibernation. Island residents had evacuated early, avoiding the catastrophic spew of hot stone and ash. Neighboring islands were less prepared for the cloud of volcanic ash that formed over the region as the volcano continued blasting debris into the air. Over 100 miles away in Barbados, a vacationing family taken off-guard by the volcano eruption found themselves grounded on the island. The Barbados Civil Aviation Authority shut down and the airport swiftly closed to the public due to the severe air quality.
When the PJS Emergency Response desk received a call from one of its many Global Travel Protection partners, PJS knew it had the capabilities to quickly fly the stranded family back to the U.S. However, it needed to navigate international permit permissions and expeditiously comply with COVID-19 requirements, including testing all passengers before reentry into the U.S. At the same time, PJS was aware that the continuously changing winds could shift without notice, blowing volcanic ash into the flight path — a highly dangerous and a known cause of sudden engine failure.
WHEN THE PJS EMERGENCY RESPONSE DESK RECEIVED A CALL FROM ONE OF ITS MANY GLOBAL TRAVEL PROTECTION PARTNERS, PJS KNEW IT HAD THE CAPABILITIES TO QUICKLY FLY THE STRANDED FAMILY BACK TO THE U.S.
THE SOLUTION:
After months of warning from scientists, the La Soufrière volcano on St. Vincent erupted in mid-April 2021 after a 42-year hibernation. Island residents had evacuated early, avoiding the catastrophic spew of hot stone and ash. Neighboring islands were less prepared for the cloud of volcanic ash that formed over the region as the volcano continued blasting debris into the air. Over 100 miles away in Barbados, a vacationing family taken off-guard by the volcano eruption found themselves grounded on the island. The Barbados Civil Aviation Authority shut down and the airport swiftly closed to the public due to the severe air quality.
Further utilizing its connections, PJS also:
- Contacted the operations team at the closed Barbados airport to push through final permits.
- Secured an exception with the airport for the family to be privately chartered out of Barbados.
- Arranged for the family to be immediately escorted to the aircraft as soon as it was positioned in Barbados to avoid ever-changing wind patterns.
THE RESULT:
Through the PJS Emergency Response Program, expert pilots safely landed in Barbados, where they performed a quick turnaround as soon as the family arrived directly on the tarmac.
They successfully completed the first departure to the continental U.S. Post-eruption, avoiding safety complications from flying near the ash cloud and the family arrived home in less than three days from the point of initial contact with PJS.
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Private Jet Services Group (PJS) is a corporate aviation consultancy providing mission-critical flight services to a global clientele of corporations, professional and collegiate athletic teams, live entertainment tours, governments, and others who recognize the cost of their transportation is far exceeded by the cost of failure. PJS procures on behalf of those clients both VIP and standard configured airliners, regional aircraft, as well as light, midsize, and large cabin executive jets. PJS acts as agents for its clients in negotiating and facilitating transportation with licensed air carriers. PJS does not own or operate aircraft.
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