Aeromedical Solutions, in partnerships with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was able to arrange the repatriation of 13 New Zealanders from Melbourne to Auckland. 

The New Zealanders were passengers on the Greg Mortimer cruise ship that was stranded off the coast of Uruguay from late March until mid-April.  The passengers arrived in Melbourne from Montevideo.

For the final leg of the journey home, Aeromedical Solutions was able to arrange a private jet, with a nurse onboard to monitor and manage the symptoms of the passengers as they travelled from Melbourne to Auckland.

Margaret O’Donnell, from the Australian Medical Escort Service, was on board the flight to monitor the health of the passengers. “All of the passengers had health screenings before leaving Montevideo and again on arrival in Melbourne to ensure that they were well enough to undertake the flight. After spending the previous 18 days confined to their cabins on the Greg Mortimer they were very relieved to be heading home to New Zealand”.

The crew and passengers landed safely in Auckland on Sunday the 12^th of April at just after 1pm local time.  The passengers have all been placed in quarantine on their return to New Zealand for a period of for two weeks.