Skip to main content

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.

Open this photo in gallery:

Mike Scholes and Deborah Day are seen in this undated handout photo.HO/The Canadian Press

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.

Our Morning Update and Evening Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.

Follow related authors and topics

Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.

Interact with The Globe