At least 150 private military contractors have been transported to Europe on Pentagon-chartered flights over the last two months, flight data has revealed.
US military contractors operating in Benghazi (Libya) have been transferred to Bulgaria’s capital Sofia via Malta using two air companies, according to sources at Sofia Airport:
- Boeing 767 with registrations N495AX, N441AX or N423AX operated by Omni Air, USA (a Pentagon contractor working under a $19.8 million contractfor air transportation services, according to information from the US federal contracts registry)
- Saab 2000 with registration ES-NSHoperated by Nyx Air – Estonia
On 27 October 2020 at 14:23 UTC the American Boeing 767 with registration N495AX operated by Omni Air took off from Dulles International Airport, Washington and at 22:51 UTC landed at Sofia Airport.
On 28 October at 3:45 am EET N495AX departed from Sofia Airport and at 6:23 am EET landed in Erbil, Iraq.
At 7:50 am EET N495AX departed from Erbil to Malta.
Meanwhile, at 7:21 am EET the Estonian Nyx Air ES-NSH departed from Malta to Benghazi.
ES-NSH departed from Benghazi to Malta and at 10:50 am EET the aircraft landed at Luqa Airport, Malta.
An hour later, at 11:56 am EET N495AX landed in Malta from Erbil.
Few minutes later, the Estonian plane ES-NSH took off back to Benghazi.
After ES-NSH took off for Benghazi N495AX departed for Sofia at 1 pm EET.
Passengers from Erbil to Benghazi
According to flight information, 17 passengers from Erbil were transported by Omni Air N495AX to Malta from where they were transferred to Benghazi by Nyx Air ES-NSH.
Passengers from Benghazi to Sofia
23 passengers from Benghazi were transported by Nyx Air ES-NSH to Malta from where they were transferred to Sofia by Omni Air N495AX, information from Sofia Airport reveals. The two planes exchanged passengers.
N495AX departed back to Washington from Sofia and landed at Dulles Airport at 00:54 UTC on 29 October.
Although the US Army does not officially operate in Benghazi, the number of flights between Benghazi and Washington has risen since June, according to an investigative report published by The Times.
Military flights with special status to Sofia and Bucharest
Omni Air has performed a number of flights to Bulgaria and Romania over the last few months, flight data shows. The air company has been contracted by the US Transportation Command to transport passengers and cargo for the Pentagon, according to information from the US Federal contracts registry. These flights are military flights with a special status operated by civil aircraft – MARSA flights.
Flights
28 October 2020
Omni Air N495AX Washington-Sofia-Erbil-Malta-Sofia
Nyx Air ES-NSH Malta-Benghazi-Malta-Benghazi
18 November 2020
Omni Air N495AX Washington-Sofia-Erbil-Malta-Sofia
Nyx Air ES-NSH Malta-Benghazi-Malta-Benghazi
22 November 2020
Omni Air N441AX Washington-Sofia-Erbil-Malta-Sofia
Nyx Air ES-NSH Malta-Benghazi-Malta-Benghazi
9 December 2020
Omni Air N423AX Washington-Sofia-Erbil-Malta-Sofia
Nyx Air ES-NSH Malta-Benghazi-Malta-Benghazi
21 December 2020
Omni Air N495AX Washington-Sofia-Erbil-Malta-Sofia
Nyx Air ES-NSH Malta-Benghazi-Malta-Benghazi
20 January 2021
Omni Air N423AX Washington-Sofia-Erbil-Malta-Sofia
Nyx Air ES-NSH Malta-Benghazi-Malta-Benghazi
US Secretary of Defense Mark Epster has already announced that the US will further expand its defense cooperation with Bulgaria and Romania. It is likely that such plans include the urgent transfer of military contractors from war zones to Europe.
This article was originally published at Arms Watch.
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