Pilot praises 'courage' of 2 Cuban migrants who tried to enter the US by using a hang glider to fly into a Florida airport
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office Facebook
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Two Cubans flew into the Key West International Airport on a motorized hang glider on Saturday.
- The journey between Cuba and Florida is approximately 90 miles.
- The migrants were subsequently turned over to US Border Patrol, authorities said.
Two migrants found an unconventional way to make the 90-mile journey from Cuba to Florida, after they landed at the Key West International Airport on a motorized hang glider.
The migrants landed at the airport on Saturday morning, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said in a statement, and were subsequently turned over to US Border Patrol.
Pilot Nick Pontecorvo told Local 10 News that he saw the hang glider from the air.
"It was pretty awesome. To make that flight 90 miles over open ocean, especially with the wind, that takes a lot of courage," he said.
The duo were not seriously injured, the statement said, releasing minimal details about their flight.
"There were no interruptions in service and operations continue as normal," according to a statement released by the airport, per local Florida news.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office Facebook
There has been a "substantial uptick" in migration to the US from both Cuba and Haiti recently, according to CBS News. Migrants generally make the dangerous journey to Florida in small boats and crowded rafts.
Due to the increase of those arriving in Florida by sea, the Biden administration implemented a policy in January that requires migrants to request a sponsorship permit online before arriving in the country, according to the Associated Press. Those who do not face deportation.
Immigration activists have suggested the recent influx of Cubans seeking refugee in the US is due to increased political unrest and food shortages in the country, per CNN.
US Border Patrol did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.