A plane owned by the New England Patriots was used to transport U.S. military personnel to and from Guantánamo Bay, raising ethical questions about the NFL team's aircraft being linked to controversial detention operations.
The Patriots own two Boeing 767s, operated by Omni Air International, a charter company that contracts with the Department of Defense, as reported by WBUR. While the planes are typically used for team travel, they are also loaned out for military charters when not in use.
On April 28, public flight data showed a plane bearing the Patriots' signature call sign flew from Fort Worth, Texas, to Guantánamo Bay and then on to Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso. The Patriots emphasized that no detainees were on board and that they do not control or profit from how the planes are used during non-team charters.
Spokesperson for Kraft Sports and Entertainment Anisha Chakrabarti told WBUR that the planes are also loaned out for "the Department of Defense to move military personnel," and maintained that the team "is not involved in" the plane's uses outside of the team.
Although the team said Omni independently charters the jets as part of its contract with the military, some questioned whether a sports franchise should allow its branded aircraft to be tied to such missions.
"I think it's reasonable to be very concerned," Angelina Godoy, director of the Center for Human Rights at the University of Washington, told the outlet. "We know that Guantánamo Bay is being used as we speak as an offsite, extra-judicial detention facility for migrants."
Critics also highlighted the optics and potential reputational risks, particularly for a high-profile organization with public-facing leadership, including mayoral candidate Josh Kraft, son of the team's owner, Robert Kraft.
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