The Akron Beacon-Journal reports that Ultimate Jet, a private jet charter company based at the Akron-Canton Airport, was the company contracted by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to fly approximately 50 migrants from Florida to Martha's Vineyard in a highly publicized political stunt last week.
Two aircrafts, each with an approximate capacity of 30 passengers, arrived in Martha's Vineyard Wednesday afternoon and there deposited the Venezuelan immigrants, who'd originated in San Antonio. The Associated Press and others reported that the migrants, with no warning and no information about what was happening to them, were flown from Texas to Crestview, Florida, and given maps of Massachusetts. (They were also apparently given fake brochures promising them cash assistance, employment opportunities and other services.) They were then carried to Martha's Vineyard, just south of Cape Cod, after pit stops in North Carolina and South Carolina.
The practice of transporting migrants and refugees from Latin American countries to Democratic-led states like New York, Massachusetts and California has been taken up by Republican Governors in Texas, Florida and Arizona in recent weeks (read: campaign season) to protest President Joe Biden and his immigration policies.
DeSantis's spokeswoman, Taryn Fenske, told local outlets that Massachusetts and other Democratic states could "better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as ‘sanctuary states’ and support for the Biden Administration’s open border policies.”
Ultimate Jet is based is Akron and has jets "strategically positioned at multiple locations throughout the country" to provide what it calls efficient and cost-effective service to its clients nationwide. The jets used to fly the Venezuelan migrants were both Dornier 328-310s.
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