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Sun Country and Private Charters Bring Biden to Washington Ahead of Inauguration

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Instead of flying aboard a U.S. Air Force aircraft, president-elect Joe Biden, his team and embedded press will be arriving in Washington aboard a fleet of private aircraft. Sun Country Airlines and two other charters provided the transportation for the new administration ahead of Wednesday’s inauguration.

When president-elect Joe Biden started making travel plans to Washington ahead of the inauguration, the original plan called for an Amtrak train from Wilmington, Delaware to the nation’s capital. However, since the attack on the U.S. Capitol Building, the incoming administration will fly – but not aboard a set of U.S. Air Force aircraft. JetTip.net reports the Biden camp arrived in Washington on a set of charter aircraft, including two from Sun Country Airlines.

Flight Team Includes Sun Country, Boeing Business Jets, KaiserAir and Ultimate Air Shuttle

With security at an all-time high, the Biden transition team elected to fly to Washington aboard a group of aircraft. Biden’s personal aircraft was a privately-owned Boeing Business Jets 737-800, and was seen boarding by news crews at Wilmington-New Castle Airport (ILG).

The rest of the team – including presumably personal staff, transition team members, and embedded press – made the short flight across a number of aircraft. The chartered airframes include two Boeing 737-800 aircraft from Sun Country Airlines, one Boeing 737-800 chartered from KaiserAir and one Embraer ERJ-145 from Ultimate Air Shuttle. According to FlightRadar24.com, all of the aircraft arrived at Joint Base Andrews (ADW) without incident.

 

It’s unknown why the U.S. Air Force is not providing transportation for the president-elect, and none of the air charters have provided public comment about their roles in the transportation plan. However, Biden has an established history with Sun Country: In 2008, Sun Country signed a contract with the Obama-Biden campaign to provide a Boeing 737-800 for the then-vice-presidential candidate to use on the campaign trail.

Private Charters Come With Tightened Security At The Capitol

Biden’s private air transportation is part of an enhanced security posture, after the attack on the Capitol Building two weeks before the inauguration ceremony. In addition to skipping what would be a traditional Amtrak ride for Biden and crew, travel will be severely impeded in the Washington area through Jan. 21, 2021. Politico reports major brands, including hotel operators Marriott and Hyatt, and rental car companies Avis and Hertz, are being asked to screen guests to ensure no “domestic terrorists” would potentially be using their services. Airbnb cancelled all guest reservations in Washington during inauguration week, while CNBC reports airlines are restricting checked luggage on flights to the nation’s capital.

3 Comments
M
mvoight January 22, 2021

So, did Trump block Biden from using government aircraft?

M
mvoight January 22, 2021

It is a 737-73Q (A Boeing Business Jet)

R
roberto99 January 22, 2021

Actually, N834BZ is a 73-700 Business Jet. It is not a 737-800.