Government is proposing to sell seats on-board an aid plane bound for Haiti for $10,000 each.

Premier Ewart Brown announced the "novel idea" at a press conference yesterday, saying passengers would get to spend a few hours in the earthquake-hit Caribbean country as supplies were unloaded from the airplane.

Dr. Brown said Government was offered the use of a Boeing 737 plane by American Airline's senior vice president, Peter Dolara, whom he met in Miami on Thursday.

It would cost the Island $60,000 to hire the plane, which would be filled with donated water, milk and medical supplies from a warehouse in Miami. "Those supplies would be considered Bermuda supplies," said the Premier.

He added: "If you want to help the Government help Haiti, we are saying that for $10,000 you can purchase a seat on the plane and actually fly in on the plane to Port-au-Prince. You won't be there for very long; probably less than three hours.

"I thought that was a novel idea. We are considering it seriously. It may just be a way for a company, for example, to have a representative on the flight.

"When they get there, there will be a presentation to the Haitian government and there are some companies that would like to exercise their own free and be seen to be helping the people of Haiti."

Senator Marc Bean told the press conference that Bermuda had agreed to help transport medical personnel from Jamaica to Haiti on a plane rented from a locally-based air ambulance operator.

He said the rental would be about $50,000 and the aircraft would depart the Island in the next 24 to 36 hours. "We expect it to be there for three or four days to assist CARICOM in getting the persons to Haiti," said Sen. Bean.

The press conference heard that there are no current plans to send the Bermuda Regiment to help with rescue efforts in Haiti but that it may be deployed there in the coming weeks or months.

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