Robert Kraft Upgrades New England Patriots Plane to Get 1.2 Million Masks From China For Health Care Workers

An incredible story today from Boston, Massachusetts as the New England Patriots team plane arrived at Boston Logan International airport. Owner Robert Kraft stepped up by helping bring 1.2 N95 masks for health care workers in Massachusetts.

#AirKraft has landed.
The #Patriots team plane has arrived to Boston Logan International.
Robert Kraft stepped up by helping bring over a million N95 masks for health care workers in Massachusetts.https://t.co/SGG31tNJRR pic.twitter.com/UllopEmvO1

— Raul Martinez (@RaulNBCBoston) April 2, 2020

According to local reporter John Atwater, the plane required an avionics upgrade in order to complete the trip.

Governor Charlie Baker was emotional as he thanked Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his son, Jonathan, for their role in delivering the much-needed medical supplies back to Massachusetts.

“Jonathan, honestly, we can’t thank you, your dad and your family enough for answering the call and helping make this happen,” Baker said.

Members of the Massachusetts Army National Guard are transferring the boxes of masks onto trucks, which will transport them to a state stockpile in Marlborough.

The plane departed Shenzhen, China, just after 3:30 a.m. Thursday and landed at Logan International Airport just before 6 p.m.

“This is a moment that for the past few weeks, that the lieutenant governor and I hoped we’d be here to celebrate, but never knew would really happen,” said Gov. Charlie Baker.

Baker shared a photo of the plane while it was in China Thursday morning on Twitter, saying “No days off … Huge thanks to the Krafts and several dedicated partners for making this happen.”

No days off. Thanks to some serious teamwork, Massachusetts is set to receive over 1 million N95 masks for our front-line workers. Huge thanks to the Krafts and several dedicated partners for making this happen.

No days off. Thanks to some serious teamwork, Massachusetts is set to receive over 1 million N95 masks for our front-line workers. Huge thanks to the Krafts and several dedicated partners for making this happen. pic.twitter.com/ieV6XMC5Ow

— Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) April 2, 2020

The plane was only allowed to be on the ground in Shenzhen for three hours, as workers in masks and full-body suits loaded the boxes of medical supplies onto the plane.

Baker said the entire, complicated endeavor was conceived after millions of masks ordered by the state were seized prior to delivery. He did not specify the agency responsible.

“Around the time that we had our 3 million masks that we had ordered through BJs confiscated in the port of New York, at that point it became pretty clear to us that using what I would describe as sort of a ‘traditional approach to this’ wasn’t going to work,” said Gov. Baker.

The governor said the Krafts teamed with Ambassador Huang Ping, Dr. Jason Li, Gene Hartigan and the state’s COVID-19 Command Center to make the mission possible.

“Our administration will keep pursuing the PPE necessary to support our brave front-line workers who are working tirelessly to save lives during this pandemic,” Baker said.

The help comes after the governor has for weeks described attempts to order personal protective equipment, only to be outbid by the federal government and other countries.

The Patriots also said 100 percent of all donations to the Patriots Foundation will go toward the purchase of protective equipment for healthcare workers. Click here to make a donation.