Originally Posted by
Box5
Commercial flights are too full for the President and his staff to fly. However, chartering a flight is possible. If that were to happen, the decision making powers should stay in Washington. In that case, Joe Biden would be the boss while the Prez is away.
In Singapore, the Prime Minister has flown on Tiger Airways, the budget carrier!
For a U.S. state governor flying between major cities, commercial is the way it should be.
The VP only acts for the President if the President is incapacitated (e.g., temporarily due to surgery under general anesthesia) or becomes the President if the President dies.
Whether the President is out of town or not is irrelevant, and in fact is one of (but not the only) the main points of having AF1, vice using charter or commercial aircraft. AF1 has all of the core capabilities that the President needs (communications, data links, etc) wherever he happens to be in the world - just as if he were back at the White House.
It also is intended to be able to remain aloft for much longer periods of time and can be air-to-air refueled. That isn't possible on a chartered 767 or commercial flight.
In the event of war or other incident, all of those capabilities can be vital to national security and an intact government.