USTRANSCOM, Air Mobility Command coordinate flight to carry EP-3 crew out of Chinese island of Hainan

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (USTCNS) --- After the U.S. Transportation Command worked with the U.S. Pacific Command and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to define the requirements, Air Mobility Command coordinated details and chartered a Continental Airlines aircraft to carry 24 EP-3 crew members from the Chinese island of Hainan to Guam and directed a C-17 to move the crew on to Hawaii April 11 following their release.

"The way that Continental did that was to provide a 737 with two crews," said Navy Rear Adm. Craig R. Quigley, Department of Defense spokesman in an 11 April news briefing. "One crew could be in a rest cycle while the other crew would be able to get that aircraft ready to launch within three hours."

Continental Airlines volunteered to standby for a flight launch on a three-hour notice. Once notified, the airliner executed the flight as planned.

The flight "took off from Guam at about 12:40 EDT" 11 April, said Quigley. It later landed at Haikou at about 6:00 p.m. and was on the ground about an hour and a half. While there the plane refueled.

The crew was flown to Guam.

On Guam the crew transferred from "the 737 into a U.S. Air Force C-17. They will also have the opportunity to shower, shave, change into a fresh set of clothes, get a good meal, and telephone their families," said Quigley.

The crew arrived in Hawaii at Hickam Air Force Base today.

U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command are headquartered at Scott Air Force Base. AMC is the Air Force component of USTRANSCOM.