According to the air charter provider Chapman Freeborn, Hurricane Melissa in late October 2025 severely damaged large parts of Jamaica. The cyclone formed, according to reports, in mid-October off the West African coast, intensified over the Caribbean and then moved along an irregular route over Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas, before it weakened near Iceland in early November.
According to the company, entire communities in Jamaica have been destroyed, numerous buildings have collapsed, and large parts of the infrastructure have failed. The preliminary damage estimate is between six and eight billion dollars, which corresponds to about thirty percent of the island state's annual economic output. At least thirty-two people have died, around six hundred thousand residents are affected by the hurricane. The relief and reconstruction efforts are expected to take several months.
Early deployment planning for air transport
The air charter provider reports having already begun planning time-sensitive missions for the Caribbean region before the storm arrived. The company coordinated early with regional aviation operators and involved its around-the-clock staffed operations team in the United Kingdom. This team processed current aviation intelligence, information on the storm's track, and risk assessments.
Parallel to that, the service provider dispatched project management personnel to Miami to coordinate the upcoming charter flights on-site in real time. According to the company, before landfall there were
already inquiries from public and government entities, from the private sector, from humanitarian organizations, and from the defense sector. The experts informed the clients about the status of airports, the availability of aircraft, the approval procedures, and possible deployment plans, to allow a rapid response if needed.
“Before Melissa made landfall, we had received inquiries from several customers in the public, governmental, commercial, NGO, and defense sectors,” says Cam Bolton-Wilson, Vice President of Government & Humanitarian – Americas at Chapman Freeborn. “We informed our customers about everything—from updates on airport status and aircraft availability to approval processes and possible deployment plans—so that we could respond as quickly as possible to any on-site situation.”
Passenger transport and airlift for humanitarian organizations
According to the company, one of the missions included transporting a deployment team from the humanitarian organization World Central Kitchen. The team flew on an ERJ-145 regional jet from Miami to Kingston to help supply affected communities with meals.
In addition, the company organized the deployment of a heavy-lift helicopter of type S-61. The aircraft departed from Michigan in the United States, was initially moved to Grand Cayman and subsequently relocated to Jamaica. On site, the helicopter served as a platform for transports in the center of the affected area to support World Central Kitchen's operations.
Another rapid-response team from
a US-based disaster relief organization not named was brought by the air charter provider on a Gulfstream G IV business jet to Jamaica.
Aircraft deployed and transport missions
For disaster relief, the company provided a wide range of aircraft, according to its own statements. These included, among others, Airbus A320 family aircraft, CASA C-212 transport aircraft and Antonov An-12, as well as various regionally based turboprop aircraft and helicopters.
The Antonov An-12 was used by the aviation service provider as part of this deployment to transport communications equipment. This equipment was intended to support the coordination of relief efforts as long as central infrastructure components were still damaged or undergoing repairs.
The heavy-lift helicopter S-61 reached Jamaica, according to the company, within a few hours after the hurricane's landfall. It remained in operation until November 9, 2025, and then returned to its home base in the United States. Several other aircraft that the company had initially planned as a precautionary measure did not enter service due to rapidly changing needs. However, the air charter provider emphasizes that this standby capacity actually enabled the rapid deployment of first responders and materials.
Role of Chapman Freeborn in disaster and freight operations
Chapman Freeborn notes that deployments in disaster situations pose different requirements than classic charter flights. The service provider says it must
be able to fly under tight time pressure in complex and rapidly changing circumstances without violating applicable aviation regulations. The company describes its role in such cases as an intermediary between the ground clients' requirements and the airborne operational capabilities.
According to the company, it not only provides appropriately suited aircraft for individual projects, but also handles deployment planning and the operational supervision of the flights. This includes, according to the company, dynamic mission support and mission management, including managing stakeholders' expectations, explaining realistic possibilities, and coordinating aircraft and deployment profiles while complying with regulatory requirements.
Company background and corporate affiliation
Chapman Freeborn was founded in 1973 in the United Kingdom and today operates offices worldwide, including in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. The company specializes in chartering and leasing cargo and passenger aircraft for freight forwarders, multinational corporations, government agencies, and humanitarian organizations.
The air charter provider is part of the Avia Solutions Group. This group describes itself as the world's largest provider of leased aircraft, including crew, maintenance and insurance. The group operates a fleet of 187 aircraft on six continents and provides additional services in maintenance, repair and overhaul, training of flight and cabin crew, ground handling, as well as other aviation-related services. According to the group, more than 250 subsidiaries are active within the
