KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — UPDATE (Sept. 21): Officials announced Tuesday that a flight planned for October to honor East Tennessee women veterans will be postponed until Spring 2022.
The decision was made as part of conversations with medical personnel, officials said. Organizers said they did not want to put anyone's health at risk by hosting the event.
Anyone who was confirmed for the October flight will still be able to take part in the Spring flight. No specific date is available for that flight, officials said.
The orientation meeting that was scheduled for Sept. 18 was also postponed, officials said. They will release a new orientation date after establishing a date for Spring's flight.
Eddie Mannis, one of the organizers and a Tennessee lawmaker, said that they are aiming to have the flight in April 2022.
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HonorAir will take to the skies once again in October, for Flight 30.
They announced that they will take off on Oct. 6, at 9 a.m. It will carry more than 130 East Tennessee women veterans to visit Washington D.C. and a memorial built in the city. They will include veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Then, they will return to Knoxville at around 8 p.m. The flight is meant to honor the veterans.
Organizers are looking for help planning a Welcome Home Celebration at McGhee Tyson Airport scheduled for when the veterans return. The flight itself is full, officials said.