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Wing of Zion takes off
(Video: Yair Sagi)
The prime minister's official aircraft, dubbed "Wing of Zion," conducted its first operational flight on Wednesday, heading to the Greek capital of Athens.
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The plane is scheduled to land in Athens in the afternoon and return in the evening. A total of 20 crew members will be on board, and the aircraft will undergo a comprehensive check of all systems.
Following the flight abroad, Wing of Zion, which has been gathering dust for years, is expected to enter full and regular operational service, after previously carrying out operational duties over Israeli skies, as first reported by Ynet.
The plane will serve both President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Last month, a comprehensive simulation flight of the Prime Minister's plane was conducted, with 50 employees from the Prime Minister's Office, security personnel, engineers, aviation industry workers, flight attendants, and aircraft crew who simulated a full-fledged flight.
During the flight, the kitchen on the plane operated for the first time, and meals were served to the Prime Minister, his wife, their family, and the other passengers on board.
The plane was initially supposed to carry out its first operational flight back in November last year to the climate conference in Dubai, but ultimately, the flight was canceled due to the war and the cancellation of Netanyahu's trip to the event.