After Hurricane Irma’s devastation of islands in the Caribbean, the federal government is marshalling planes and aid to rescue stranded Canadians.

WestJet Airlines is sending a plane to Saint Martin today to collect some of those stranded by the storm, including a limited number of non-ticketed passengers who are on the island, which is divided between French and Dutch control. Flight 4906 is scheduled to depart the island at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET and will arrive in Toronto later this evening.

Priority will be given to children, families and vulnerable people. The airline is asking people to register in advance of the flight through Facebook messenger , Twitter direct message or by contacting the call centre at 1-888-937-8538.

“We are asking guests to calmly make their way to the airport for 1:30 p.m. local,” the airline said in a statement.

“Please understand that this is a very fluid situation and we, along with the various agencies involved, are doing our best to safely bring home as many people as possible, understanding that the authorities are working on continued rescue efforts.”

This photo provided by the Dutch Defence Ministry on Sunday, shows people walking toward a cruise ship anchored on Dutch side of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma. (Gerben Van Es/Dutch Defence Ministry/AP)

Other commercial airlines are expected to touch down there today.

International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau will provide an update on Canada’s rescue efforts in the region at noon ET. CBCNews.ca will carry the press conference live.

#SintMaarten : WestJet Airlines will be in Sint Maarten (SXM) airport today (11 Sept) at 2:30 pm approx. 1/3

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@TravelGoC

An estimated 70 per cent of the homes on the island were damaged or destroyed by Irma and four people have died, according to the Dutch government.

Some 9,000 Canadians have registered with Global Affairs Canada to say they are in Irma’s path. Assistance has been requested by 348 Canadians, with most requesting help to get home from areas hit by the storm.

The U.S. has already made use of military planes to get 1,200 American nationals out of the Caribbean region since Irma made landfall. Other countries, including the Netherland and the U.K., have also evacuated citizens with military aircraft. Canada will not send military planes, but will rely on commercial airlines, according to Global Affairs, prompting criticism from some stranded that the government isn’t doing enough to rescue them.

People board a military plane after the passage of Hurricane Irma, on Sunday. (Gerben Van Es/Dutch Defence Ministry/AP)

Hélène Laverdière, NDP critic for foreign affairs, said she has heard from Canadians in the region who feel like they have been abandoned as response to the crisis has been “slow and insufficient.”

She said the Canadian government should have acted earlier — the storm made landfall in Saint Martin Thursday — including chartering rescue flights, as has been done in the past.

“We are doing really the best we can to bring them back home,” International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said in an interview with CBC News

“We want to keep in touch and make sure they are safe, that’s our first priority obviously. The airline companies are ready to go but we have to get the authorization from the local government because the infrastructure at the airport might be affected and they have to manage the flow of airplanes and they have priorities in terms of emergency,” she said.

Vacation airline Sunwing picked up 189 Canadian, American and European tourists from Saint Martin on Sunday, and took them to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

Air Canada attempted to rescue some 95 Canadians from the Caribbean islands of Turks and Caicos Sunday afternoon but were barred by local officials from boarding.

Austin Jean, spokesperson for Global Affairs, said the department is aware of the situation.

“We are actively working with local partners to resolve the situation. The government is currently raising this issue at high levels,” he said.

Global Affairs said its best advice to stranded Canadians in the region is to stay in a safe place with food and water until more flights are available.