Israel’s Air Force One equivalent, the Boeing 767 Wing of Zion set off to the U.S. on Tuesday on its inaugural transatlantic flight ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned state visit later in the week.
The airliner took off with some of the equipment and crew required for Netanyahu’s visit, where he will speak at Congress and meet with U.S. President Joe Biden. The unusual splitting of the flight, which will likely cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, was mainly done due to weight issues.
In February, Wing of Zion made its first operational flight abroad to Athens. The plane was supposed to make its first operational flight in November to the Climate Conference in Dubai, but the flight was ultimately canceled due to the war and Netanyahu's cancellation of his trip to the event.
Wing of Zion first landed in Israel in July 2016 and has since undergone a long process of upgrades, renovations and adaptations, along with numerous debates over whether it would be used or not.
The aircraft is a 20-year-old Boeing 767 containing 120 seats – that can for now only carry 80 passengers. About a third of the plane is dedicated to the prime minister and includes a bedroom, small shower and seats for security personnel and secretaries.
It has previously been reported that an estimated 730 million shekels was invested in the airliner, but the Prime Minister's Office countered that the actual amount was about 400 million shekels. The 2022 State Comptroller's report noted that security modifications to the plane were delayed, partly due to the late integration of the Shin Bet's requirements, which oversees protection for the prime minister.