As Hurricane Melissa swept through the Caribbean late last month, global air charter specialist Chapman Freeborn formed part of immediate response efforts. The company was transporting personnel and critical equipment from the USA directly to Jamaica mere hours after the hurricane made landfall.
Hurricane Melissa formed in mid-October 2025 near West Africa, grew rapidly over the Caribbean, and followed an erratic path through Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas before dissipating near Iceland in early November. Jamaica bore the brunt of the destruction – entire communities were devastated, with widespread flooding, building collapses, and infrastructure failures. Preliminary damage estimates are around $6-8 billion (about 30% of Jamaica’s GDP), with at least 32 fatalities reported and many more injured. Overall, some 600,000 people in Jamaica were affected, and relief operations are expected to last several months.
As Melissa was gaining strength, Chapman Freeborn was getting ready to deploy time-sensitive charters to the Caribbean. Pre-planning efforts included advance coordination with regional operators, liaising with Chapman Freeborn’s 24/7 Operations team in the UK for the latest Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), storm trajectory updates and risk notices as well as deploying project management personnel to Miami for real-time charter coordination.
“Before Melissa’s landfall, we had received requests from multiple customers in the public, government, commercial, NGO and defense sectors,” says Cam Bolton-Wilson, Vice President of Government & Humanitarian – Americas at Chapman Freeborn. “We informed our clients about everything from airport status updates and aircraft availability to permit processes and potential schedules so we could respond as quickly as possible to any situation on the ground.”
One of the organisations that reached out was World Central Kitchen, which provides meals to communities impacted by natural disasters. Chapman Freeborn transported the NGO’s response team from Miami to Kingston via an ERJ-145 regional jet. The company also mobilized an S-61 heavy-lift helicopter from Michigan, USA to Grand Cayman, before positioning it to Jamaica to support World Central Kitchen operations at the heart of the affected area.
Chapman Freeborn also transported a second rapid-response element from an undisclosed US-based disaster response NGO to Jamaica via Gulfstream G-IV, and had Airbus A-320s, CASA C-212, Antonov AN-12 and a wide array of regionally positioned turboprop and rotary wing aircraft available to support evolving mission profiles. The Antonov AN-12 is another multi-role aircraft well known to Chapman Freeborn’s US Cargo team and is especially well configured for operations into austere environments with reduced infrastructure. For this response operation, the aircraft was used to transport communications equipment to assist with coordination or relief efforts while critical infrastructure was under repair. The mission profiles completed, and the aircraft used, reflect the operational reach, diverse operator network and disaster response airlift capabilities of Chapman Freeborn USA.
“The nature of disaster response operations is significantly different from traditional charters,” Bolton-Wilson explains. “There’s no time to lose, so we have to be prepared to go into unstable or developing environments to provide the necessary assistance. We strive to operate ethically and ensure the best solutions possible, balancing schedule, cost and operational need against rapidly evolving operating environments.”
Chapman Freeborn not only offers instant access to project-specific aircraft, but also provides dynamic trip support and mission management. What’s particularly important in rapidly-developing situations is managing stakeholder expectations and explaining realistic capabilities, Bolton-Wilson notes:
“Even in dire situations, the regulatory environment still applies to air travel, so evolving needs on the ground cannot always drive airlift solutions. Our brokerage team matches aircraft to mission specifics, and provides essential stability and project control during what can be a chaotic planning phase.”
While many aircraft sourced by Chapman Freeborn were ultimately not required due to rapidly shifting needs, the company provided critical initial deployment solutions to first-wave responders, and persistent support for relief efforts in Jamaica through the contracted S-61 heavy lift helicopter. The aircraft arrived within hours of the hurricane making landfall, and delivered versatile, high-impact airlift capabilities to World Central Kitchen and the people of Jamaica through the 9th of November, before returning to home base in the US.
