Pivot Airlines crew being held in the Dominican Republic since April are now free to leave

Five crew members with Toronto-based Pivot Airlines that have been held in the Dominican Republic for seven months are finally free to return home to Canada. The crew — which includes two pilots, two flight attendants, and a mechanic — were “arbitrarily detained” in the Dominican Republic back in April, after reporting suspected contraband on their aircraft — a Bombardier CRJ 100 (C-FWRR). The crew were preparing for a return flight to Toronto, when the mechanic found several suspicious bags in the avionics bay, and reported his findings to the pilots. The pilots made the appropriate call to report the bags, which contained more than 200 kilograms of cocaine, to Dominican authorities. Despite being fully compliant, they were arrested, and have been unable to leave the country ever since.<br/>