Transatlantic balloon flight up in the air amid COVID-19 pandemic

FREDERICTON — Plans for a record-breaking transatlantic balloon flight from New Brunswick to France are up in the air as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A British couple had planned to fly from Sussex, N.B., to France some time between mid-June and early August, but now say COVID-19 concerns have disrupted the project.

If successful, Deborah Day would become the first woman in command of a transatlantic balloon crossing, while Mike Scholes would become the first blind crew member on such a trip.

Day and Scholes of Sussex, U.K., have been planning the flight for six years.

The couple says on their website they will plan for a launch when conditions are safe.

Flight director Kevin Stass says the latest the couple can lift off is the end of September because the weather deteriorates rapidly after that.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2020.

The Canadian Press