Animal Rescue Flights Staging at Standard Aviation

Standard Aviation is a locally owned business, not part of an FBO chain. So the St. Thomas and Virgin Islands communities are near and dear to every member of the team. In particular, Standard Aviation leadership and many staffers who own rescue pets are compassionate about animal rescue.

As such, Standard Aviation offers space to stage animal rescue flights in their hangar, regularly engaging with the Humane Society of St. Thomas (https://hsstt.com/). Standard Aviation team members assist with cargo plane loading logistics, along with escorting non-profit volunteers on and off the apron.

Following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, animal rescue flights were frequent and direly needed as many dogs and cats required evacuation. In addition to stray animals, severe hurricane damage to many island homes created a need for off-island transport of owned animals.

When the new Standard Aviation expanded facility opened during the summer of 2020, the team immediately put the 26,000 square foot hangar to use for animal rescue flights. In August, for example, more than 150 animals’ lives were saved in conjunction with the Humane Society of St. Thomas, Big Dog Ranch Rescue, and several other charitable partners. This particular animal rescue flight made CBS News: (https://cbs12.com/news/local/over-150-dogs-scheduled-to-be-euthanized-rescued-from-the-virgin-islands).

Helping save the lives of innocent animals in the U.S. Virgin Islands has become part of the mission at Standard Aviation. Combating the overpopulation problem in the St. Thomas community is essential. The team at Standard Aviation is committed to facilitating animal rescue flights departing from Cyril E. King Airport (STT / TIST) whenever space permits.