The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the NFL’s newest franchises. The squad was created in 1995, alongside the Carolina Panthers, as the NFL’s most recent expansion team. The squad enjoyed early success, winning two division crowns and competing in two American Football Conference (AFC) Championship Games in its first five seasons.
However, since then, the squad has struggled to achieve success on the field. The Jaguars have won two Division Championships since, however they have only made four total postseason appearances since 2000.
The Jaguars have struggled once again during this year’s regular season. This year, the squad only won four games, finishing third out of four in the AFC South division.
On Sunday, January 5th, the Jaguars headed to Indianapolis to play their division opponents, the Indianapolis Colts. However, the squad struggled and lost to the Colts 23–26, bringing their regular-season record to four wins and thirteen defeats, putting them well outside the NFL playoffs.
To make matters worse, just after the game, a snowstorm hit the Indianapolis metro region. This caused the Jaguars’ chartered aircraft, an Atlas Air Boeing 747, to become stranded on the runway at Indianapolis International Airport (IND) for more than seven hours.
Stranded on the IND runway
The Jacksonville Jaguars were set to travel from Indianapolis International Airport (IND) in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) in Jacksonville, Florida, shortly after their game versus the Indianapolis Colts. The team had rented a Boeing 747 aircraft by Atlas Air to fly flight 5Y-8088 for this function.
The plane was due to depart from IND about 18:00 local time. This would have returned the Jaguars to Jacksonville at around 20:00 local time following a brief two-hour journey.
However, as the Jaguars’ chartered plane was taxiing, a winter storm approaching the Indianapolis metro region struck the airport. The National Weather Service anticipated severe snowfall in the Indianapolis area, with accumulations of up to five inches. It also predicted freezing rain and wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour.
The airport briefly stopped down due to the bad weather, leaving the Jaguars’ aircraft stuck on the tarmac. According to FlightAware, the delay lasted more than seven hours.
The aircraft was eventually allowed to depart IND at approximately 01:05 local time on Monday, January 6th, and arrived at JAX at roughly 03:02 local time. This follow-up delay was yet another terrible situation following the team’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, January 5th.
About the Atlas Air Boeing 747 that was chartered for this operation
As previously stated, the Jacksonville Jaguars chartered a flight with Atlas Air, and the team flew on a Boeing 747-400. According to Flightradar24, the aircraft allocated to the team was registered as N263SG. According to ch-aviation, this particular Boeing 747 was initially built in 1999.
From March 1999 to April 2007, the aircraft was operated by All Nippon Airways before being taken over by Oasis Hong Kong Airlines. Atlas Air eventually took over the 25-year-old aircraft in April 2010.
The Boeing 747 is one of the most iconic aircraft series ever built. Atlas Air is the largest operator of the Queen of the Skies aircraft version, making it a popular choice in the company’s fleet. Atlas Air has a fleet of more than 50 Boeing 747s.
However, of this operational fleet, approximately two are used for VIP charter operations, and the Jacksonville Jaguars chartered flight was most likely flown by one of these planes.
Why was the Jacksonville Jaguars’ charter flight delayed?
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ charter flight was delayed for several hours due to unforeseen mechanical issues with the aircraft.
How long was the delay for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ flight?
The delay lasted for several hours before the team was able to depart from Indianapolis.
Did the team face any additional travel issues after the delay?
No further travel issues were reported after the delayed departure from Indianapolis. The team eventually returned home safely.
Has the airline provided any statement regarding the delay?
The airline responsible for the charter flight has not released a detailed statement but cited mechanical issues as the primary reason for the delay.
How common are delays for NFL team charter flights?
While not very common, delays can occur due to mechanical issues, weather conditions, or air traffic congestion. NFL teams typically use chartered flights for better control over travel schedules.
