http://www.chronicle.gi/readarticle.php?id=000011665&title=The%20Gibraltar%20Chronicle
Odyssey Marine Exploration flew sunken treasure from Gibraltar to the US on two separate occasions, not just one as was previously thought. Only one of the planes carried the bulk of the valuable cargo, though the other aircraft was engaged on a crucial mission in the run-up to the main flight.
Details of the flights emerged as Odyssey intensified its efforts to reach a breakthrough in the standoff with Spain.
The company this week delivered a sworn statement to key Spanish authorities setting out its position on the shipwreck it has codenamed Black Swan.
Odyssey is trying to engage with the Spanish authorities to reach an agreed solution to a festering row that for weeks has kept its two vessels effectively blockaded in Gibraltar.
The affidavit signed by Odyssey co-founder Greg Stemm follows persistent controversy over the treasure recovered by the company from the wreck, which Spain believes to be that of a Spanish warship.
Until now, attention has been focused on the flight that carried the main haul of treasure to the US. But that flight was preceded by another, far more discreet trip.
The Chronicle can now reveal that on April 10, a Gulfstream GV private jet chartered by the US company took off from Gibraltar bound for the US. On board the plane were a number of coins and artifacts raised from the seabed at the Black Swan site in the Atlantic Ocean.
The flight represented a vital step for Odyssey. The company needed physical evidence to secure legal rights over the site and prevent anyone else from working there.
