A plan by a private jet firm to sell six seats on a flight to the US has flown into trouble.

David Burt, the Premier, said that the trip organised by Longtail Aviation to bring passengers back to Bermuda from the US and return to America had not yet gained permission to land.

Mr Burt said: “That permission is not automatically given as any jet that is returning residents to the country must use extra seats to return stranded Bermudians back home.”

He was speaking on Monday night after spokesman for Longtail, based at LF Wade International Airport, said the flight to Palm Beach, Florida would depart on Wednesday afternoon.

Carlton Smith, head of ground operations for the company, said: “We are in the process of setting up an inbound charter to repatriate a Bermudian family.

“Once the passengers offload here in Bermuda, the aircraft will continue on to Palm Beach.

But Mr Burt said: “We have a process, and I would encourage that all persons follow the process and not advertise something before the required permissions are received.”

The company said earlier that the seats were available to anyone who did not fall under the US presidential proclamation to further restrict entry of “immigrants and non-immigrants” to the country in the battle against Covid-19. The edict came into force on March 16.

• Ror more information, contact Mr Smith at 293-5971 extension 1024