Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) -- British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler, released over the weekend after being held by pirates for more than a year, departed Kenya on Tuesday for the United Kingdom.
Their convoy drove to a Virgin Atlantic plane that took off from the Nairobi airport just before 1 p.m. (5 a.m. ET).
The Chandlers issued a brief statement Monday saying they planned to return to the United Kingdom but had no plans to give any press interviews or further statements until they have time to adjust to the situation.
They learned after their release that Paul Chandler's father died in July, while they were still held captive.
The couple were sailing on their yacht from the Seychelles Islands to Tanzania in October 2009 when they were captured.
They were released over the weekend after a ransom of about $750,000 was paid, according to local elders in Somalia, who did not want to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue.
CNN
