A Canadian flight crew detained in the Dominican Republic for more than 200 days is expected to be heading home soon, Global News has confirmed.
The crew of a Pivot Airlines flight was first detained in early April, after local authorities alleged drugs were found at Punta Cana International Airport. However, the Mississauga, Ont.-based airline has said the crew themselves were the ones who reported suspected drugs on board their aircraft.
After they shared their concerns with local authorities, however, the Pivot Airlines crew was detained — and have remained in the country ever since.
“Earlier today, paperwork was filed to free the five Pivot crew members who have been detained in the Dominican Republic for 220 days after reporting suspected contraband on their aircraft,” read a statement from Pivot Airlines CEO Eric Edmondson, sent to Global News on Friday.
“We are deeply relieved that these five Canadian will soon return home to their families and loved ones.”
Edmonson said he is “grateful” for the crew’s “courage, resilience, and honesty” throughout the “devastating” ordeal.
“When they return home to Canada, they will be returning as heroes,” he added.
The exact return date for the crew remains unknown, Edmondson said. The decision to send them home is still pending a final court sign-off, which will then kick off a process to grant the detained Canadians the necessary government documentation and approvals to fly home.
“There have been considerable delays and uncertainty throughout this case, and we are urging the Dominican Republic authorities to begin the process of releasing the crew without delay,” he wrote.
“Due to this uncertainty, and the very real potential for unforeseen delays, we do not yet have a timeline for the crew’s return.”
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Pivot Airlines operates from Toronto Pearson International Airport. In mid-June, the crew released a video appealing to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his help.
In the video, a pilot with the crew who identified himself as “Rob” said they discovered “suspected contraband” on their aircraft, which was destined for Canada.
Despite reporting their concerns “immediately” to both the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Dominican authorities, the pilot said they were punished.
“The Dominicans threw us in jail,” he said.
The crew was initially imprisoned before being released on bail.
In May, Dominican Republic prosecutors sought to return the crew to jail for up to 12 months, according to the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), a union representing the crew.
A report by the National Post said Dominican Republic prosecutors alleged the airliner was a drug-smuggling front, despite offering little actual evidence.
Meanwhile, the Pivot Airlines have been forced to reckon with what they described as a “nightmare” situation.
“We have been threatened with death by narco-criminals, extorted by inmates and have lived in inhumane and humiliating conditions,” the pilot said.
Trudeau met with the president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, on the margins of the Summit of the Americas on June 10, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
“The leaders recognized the many ties between their countries in trade and investment, as well as in the tourism sector,” a public statement said.
The statement also said Trudeau “raised the case of the Canadian air crew in the Dominican Republic” and that he was given “assurances that the authorities will address the matter according to the rule of law.”
— With files from Global News’ Sean O’Shea, Isaac Callan
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
